Undying Love
by Always Dreaming
Summary: Six years later, and Chihiro and Haku reunite. But, when the couple returns to the Spirit World... they become involved in a dangerous web of seduction and deception. Will the couple's undying love last this ordeal? Read and review!
1. Memories of the Past

**Undying Love - Memories of the Past**

**Author's Note:** IEE! To my happiness, this chapter has finally been _fully _edited. I'm trying my best to edit _all _of the previous chapters… since I've noted of the fact that my writing skills have improved as I write longer and more detailed chapters. LOLz. I do hope that everyone likes the new changes that are apparent in this chapter. Enjoy, and remember to… read and review!

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She gasped for a breath of fresh air, as the cold sweat poured down her face… regardless of the fact that it was a chilly night. The young girl's silky hair, which was usually organized and wavy, was now in a messy and disoriented state. Her soft porcelain skin glistened under the moonlight, which was radiating from her open window. Her eyes were a deep, thoughtful brown, reflecting many emotions that were coming across her mind. Even in the darkness, it was easy enough to see the girl's silhouette, attractively curvy from the years that allowed her body to perfectly mature. This was no ordinary girl… but the most popular and attractive student at school, Chihiro Ogino.

Chihiro Ogino had to truly thank fortune and destiny; life had really improved for her over the years. Being the plump and regular girl she once was; Chihiro had really changed over the years. Unlike the plump and childish physique she was once had, her body had fully matured with the proper curves and her skin was now perfectly smooth and tanned. Over the years, Chihiro had grown a couple of good inches, making her even prettier, and still able to continue the sport activities that she was skilled at. 

Though Chihiro had truly never cared much about her looks in the past, she had gotten pretty self-conscious about the way she looked when she attended high school. It had all started after the first year of high school had passed; things had surely changed from the elementary-school way of things. All of the young females at her school were nearly the same, making sure to wear fashionable clothes of sorts, and to keep up a decent, or attractive look. Those that didn't bother to retain at least a decent look were often shunned and made fun of. Like most high schools, looks and popularity had become a really important thing in everyday life.

When Chihiro had started her first year of high school, she was still the somewhat childish and optimistic girl she was at elementary school. Unlike many of the other girls, Chihiro didn't really care much about her looks… at first. On her first year of high school, many of the first years had pretty much split up into social categories. Those of the lowest social category were social outcasts, or those who didn't seem to fit in with the other students. Even though Chihiro only had the average looks, which were often not cared for in a proper fashion, she still managed to become one of the more popular students at school.

Many of the students Chihiro had once known in her old elementary school also were at her high school. Therefore, she still was able to preserve much of the popular and loveable reputation that she had in the past. Though Chihiro wasn't the prettiest of the high social group, she still managed to make many friends, regardless of her looks. Chihiro didn't have the model looks, but she had three things that many other girls lacked: superior sport talents, successful academic studies, and natural leadership skills. With that, she managed to become one of the favorite students in the eyes of her teachers and peers. 

Unlike many of the other sociable girls, she wasn't as bossy and self-centered as the rest of them. Sure, she was still self-conscious about the people she hanged and talked out with, but she still managed to keep much of her caring and thoughtful side. Chihiro was also very active in the different sport teams and extra-curricular clubs, allowing her to make new friends along the way. With Chihiro's constant high marks in the honor roll, the teachers and her parents had no problems whatsoever with the amount of extracurricular activities she was doing.

Amazingly, even with all of the different activities Chihiro was participating in, she still managed to spend a good amount of time with her close friends as well. Though Chihiro didn't have the exact same interests as her other female friends, she still was able to fit in particularly well in her group. Just like any other girl, Chihiro couldn't resist the natural urge of fun gossiping and rumors. Often, the main topic in conversations would be the popular rumors circulating the school, such as who was dating who, or which couples had broken up, and of course… guys.  

After the first high school year had ended, Chihiro's female friends had gotten particularly sick with Chihiro's carelessness in her own looks. After all, Chihiro was in high school… just like the rest of them. Eventually, she was going to mature from the childish person she once was, and face the fact that she would have to be self-conscious about her looks, just like any other girl.

On the following summer of that year, Chihiro's friends had cunningly tricked and forced Chihiro into getting a whole new makeover. Under the willpower of her friends, Chihiro had gone to various salons and stores of all sorts, forced to change the childish looks she once had. By the time the day had passed, Chihiro's nails were fully manicured and polished, much of her skin had been painfully waxed, her ears had been newly pierced, and her once knot-laced hair had been smoothed and curled in an attractive wavy look. 

Unfortunately, this painful and forced changed did not fully satisfy Chihiro's friends; they were still disappointed of Chihiro's weight. Though Chihiro played a lot of sports, she unfortunately happened to eat quite a huge amount of food. As a result, the sports that she played didn't help her to lose any weight, but just to keep up the average weight that she always had. Because of this, Chihiro's friends decided to take the wonderful pleasure of forcing Chihiro into one of those dreadful diets. 

Just as much as Chihiro didn't want to admit it, the forced diets allowed her to control her how her overall body was shaped. By going into a reasonable diet, Chihiro was able to positively control her eating habits, and preserve her new, slim look. With the new diet that she had maintained for the rest of the summer, Chihiro's attractive curves and natural beauty were easily seen, regardless of the type of clothes that she wore.

The 2nd school year, when Chihiro had returned from the summer, had been the start of her popularity boost. Chihiro had already been one of the more prominent idols in the school, regardless of her carelessness for her own physical looks. With her new attractive changes, Chihiro ended up gaining more admirers and supporters than ever. From being just being a part of the gang, Chihiro gained more confidence in herself that year, finally taken over the school's student council… and most of the respect amongst her fellow students.

Not only that, Chihiro had also become a main target for many of the eager males in her school. After one year of high school had passed, it wasn't abnormal for dating and crushes to become popular trends at school. In fact, many of the rumors and conversations that went on in everyday talks were revolving around the hottest couples or break-ups at school. With Chihiro's new change, she had predictably become one of the most wanted and attractive eye candies of the male population. 

Unfortunately, to many of the guys' disappointment, Chihiro had no intention of dating or romancing with any of the boys, whatsoever. Sure, Chihiro did have her share of secret crushes and all, but she ended up growing out of her temporary infatuations after a few months went by. With all of the newfound attention that was being focused on Chihiro, she was slightly terrified and unaccustomed to catching the interest of so many people. 

Besides, Chihiro had been busier than ever that year, since she had decided to participate in more sport teams, and extra-curricular clubs. Chihiro also had to leave out time to complete her 50 hours of community service, which was a requirement for all those in their 2nd year of junior high. With all of her free time being taken up by other activities, Chihiro didn't exactly have any spare time to worry about her love life. She didn't get any chances for dating other guys at school… since her friends were kind of overprotective too. Well, to be exact… it was only her best friend that was against the prospect of having her date other guys… but that's a long story.

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_A few minutes later…_

The pretty woman gracefully got up from her bed, and walked over to her window, staring at the beautiful midnight sky. She always loved observing the night sky from her bedroom, especially in winter, since there would always be that slightly chilly breeze that grazed her skin. With the cool weather, and the clear skies that could only be offered by the winter season, Chihiro always made sure to leave some time each winter night to do some stargazing. 

Chihiro couldn't explain it, but the stars and the moon seemed to radiate a special and unique aura all the time. It was one of those strange, mysterious auras that always made her feel calm and comfortable, like the one that had radiated from her childhood spirit friend, Haku. Though she never admitted it to any of her friends, she never bothered to date any of the attractive and sweet guys at school… because her heart still held a sacred and romantic place for Haku. 

She blushed at the thought of Haku, the only secret crush of hers that didn't die out over the years. Yeah… she knew that other people would think she was a foolish for still have a crush on a guy… who she met in the young age of 10. Obviously, it wasn't very common to find your so-called "true" love at the age of 10. I mean… would a 10-year child really know what love was for the matter? 

From what she heard of her friends' experiences, love in reality was not like how it was portrayed in fairytale books. True, love was often joyous, warm, and comforting to experience… something that should only be shared by one special person in your life. But love also had its downsides; it could also cause great heartbreak and betrayal. It was obvious that in order to receive the pleasures and happiness of love, you had to risk the chance of experiencing intense, emotional and mental pains.

After a few more moments of lingering thoughts around Haku… she sighed disappointingly, and cursed herself for being so close-minded and delusional. What kind of person spends their entire night thinking about someone that she hasn't seen in six whole years?! Chihiro shook her head in disappointment. Almost every single night, she would drift away from her world and dream about him, her only love. Every night that Chihiro dreamt of him, she could see him as clear as day, still being the flawless and caring person that he always was. She was crazy, giving herself false hopes of hoping that her lover would come back to her someday. 

Then, the reality of her situation hit her hard. What happens if those special moments when she met him, were all but a dream? What if her so-called "love of her life" was nothing more but an illusion she created… to comfort her from the problems that faced from moving to a new home? What happens if he was _never… real? What if…?_

She moved her head from side-to-side in great disappointment. False hopes and haunting dreams about her past did not mix well together. She was already stressed enough at school with the loads of homework she was getting, the nagging teachers, the high social class she struggled to keep up with, and the false mask that she wore everyday, trying to hide all of her darkest emotions and thoughts from the world. She did not need the problems of the past to add to her frustrating life. 

And yet... she was the only one to blame. She was the only one who reminded of herself of these things. She was the only one who brought herself false hopes. She was the only one who spent her school days… daydreaming, wondering if Haku would finally come back to her. 

After her stay in the Spirit World, Chihiro never bothered to tell her parents or friends of her unforgettable experience there. Was it _all a dream to begin with? Besides, even if those memories she had experienced were true, people would believe she was a nutcase. Who would ever believe about a world of dragons, magic, and spirits? To begin with, she didn't even believe in those things when she first arrived at the Spirit World. What more with other people who haven't even been there? And with all of the pressure she was getting at the time, of adapting to a new place… a new home, it just made it seem like that her experience was nothing more than some fantastical world that she created to escape her worries.  And even now, after 6 entire years, she didn't even know if her experience was even real to begin with… or just a piece of her fancy getaway of reality._

A few more moments of peace… and Chihiro knew that nothing could divert her from the truth. No, her time at the Spirit World just had to be real. Everything she experienced there… just had to be real. It seemed so real to begin with… and she knew there was always something that proved that her magical experience was real. 

Chihiro walked slowly to her table, and picked up a small, wooden box. Chihiro held the wooden box tightly to her chest, remembering why she had specifically requested for a beautiful, green dragon to be engraved on the front of the box. Her mother had always asked her why she had chosen such a design, for it didn't range in Chihiro's tastes… but Chihiro never did bother to explain her reasons. This was personal to her; something that she couldn't share with anyone else… this was a dedication and remembrance for her _only _love, Haku. 

The young girl slowly opened the box with much care… as she stared at the precious item lying on the dust-free and elegant green wood. There, before her eyes, was the special purple hair tie that all of her friends at the Spirit World wove, to protect her from harm.

Even after all of the years had passed, the purple hair tie had miraculously not lost its unique and mysterious shine. The purple hair tie still sparkled just as beautiful as it did… when she first received it from Zeniiba a few years back. The purple hair tie also was in perfect condition… showing no decay or wear whatsoever. The purple hair tie was special and precious to Chihiro; she made sure to take extreme care of it. Though this hair tie looked a lot prettier than _all _of her other regular ones, she did not risk using the purple hair tie every day. Chihiro would only risk wearing the hair tie on _only the most special of occasions, such as the anniversary of the day that she visited the Spirit World, and met… Haku._

Chihiro wondered to herself every single night, trying to understand why Haku wasn't able to fulfill his promise. So… if her experience was real to begin with, why hadn't Haku come and visit her all of these years? Surely in six years, he would be able to spare just_ one_ day to see her. But no, instead, she never heard from him again. Then, other horrible realizations stabbed her fragile heart...

Maybe her prince charming had forgotten all about her. Maybe he still wasn't able to work off his contract. Or maybe… maybe he found another lover to replace her. Maybe he moved on with his life, unlike her, who was dwelling on her unbelievable dreams and memories of the past. Just maybe, he _never intended on keeping his promise that she treasured so dearly all those years. Maybe he didn't even love her. She whimpered sadly at these thoughts, as she shredded her last bit of hope into a million pieces. Maybe all of this time, she had wasted 6 years of her life, worrying about someone who __never cared about her to begin with._

_Oh, Haku... where have you been all these years when I needed you?_


	2. Thinking About You…

**Undying Love – Thinking About You…**

**Author's Note: **Edited this whole chapter! As you can see, I've added a _lot _more details and changed the writing style a bit. In my opinion though, I think it's quite an improvement. LOLz. What do you think? Read and review!

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A young, handsome man walked into his small, yet, comfortable bedroom. His bedroom basically had a most simple layout, only having the necessities that were needed in any bedroom. From where he was standing, he could clearly see the shape of his small, sapphire-blue bed… which could only exactly serve for one person. On his bed, there was a thin white bed sheet covering the mattress, which was under a thick, plaid-designed blanket, also bearing the blue-white colors. 

About half a meter from his bed, there was a simple, plain working desk and a wooden chair… which was only there for comfort, and simply for working purposes. Like the rest of his bedroom, the desk and chair also adapted the blue-white colors… which officially became the primary and prominent colors used throughout the _whole bathhouse. Aside from these three things, there was a large, wooly rug on the center of room… and a medium-sized cabinet at the corner of the room. This bedroom was far from the fancy and complicated designs that were apparent in Yu-Baaba's bedroom._

Even though his living quarters were merely microscopic compared to Yu-Baaba's, he couldn't help but still feel satisfied with what he considered his home. The attractive male considered himself _very _lucky… for he never had to share his living quarters with the Yuna and Aogaeru, who were bothersome with their bickering and shrill voices. Not only that, he was also fortunate to have a bed for himself, since most of the workers had to sleep on the ground, only with a few sheets of cloth and a thin blanket.

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_After a few more minutes…_

Haku had stared around the room for some time, and couldn't help but to smirk softly. If anyone had entered his room right now, they would have to be blind _and _intellectually-challenged, not to see the obvious fact that the bedroom was an _absolute mess. Rin would have a __long talk with him if she ever found out that his room was in this state of disorganization and disaster. Not only that, he'd probably get a slap or two from her as well, not that he couldn't block these slaps himself… of course. _

It had only been a week since Rin cleaned his room, which took her hours to clean… and a lot of messy work she happened to loathe. Ever since Yu-Baaba had assigned her another new job, which was to clean up _all _the bedrooms on the top floor, she had always been nagging him to keep his room as clean as possible. After all, Rin still had to clean the smaller tubs downstairs, on top of tidying _every single living quarters. To say at the least… this wasn't an easy… or clean job, for the matter. It was no surprise that Rin had taken a most passionate loathing for her warty and sadistic boss, Yu-Baaba._

But, with his crammed and busy schedule, he didn't have time to be worrying about the state of his room. It was _very _uncharacteristic of Haku to be so disorganized, but he just didn't have any time to spare; Yu-Baaba was literally making him work like a cow. Lately, Yu-Baaba had been giving him more assignments than usual… since she wanted the bathhouse to be perfect for the Spring Blossoming Festival. This year, the Spring Blossoming Festival… which was one of the most important celebrations of the year, was being held at Yu-Baaba's bathhouse. To be chosen to host the Spring Blossoming Festival was certainly an honor, and Yu-Baaba had no intention of ruining the wonderful reputation that the bathhouse acquired over the years. And besides, he was also too occupied worrying about a special someone… a girl… his lover, Chihiro.

He took off his sweaty top and threw it on his chair as he made his way to his bed. Now lying on the bed in his relaxed position, stomach flat on the white sheets beneath him, he couldn't help but stare at the mystical, enchanting stars and the night sky. Oh, the things he'd do to make magnificent beauties like that, last forever. It was always the little things that Haku had enjoyed in life; like the pretty sunsets, feeling the soft wind blow across his face, flying through the sunny skies… and… Chihiro.

He sighed. For some reason, one way or another, he found himself always thinking about Chihiro. She was the being, the angel, and the lover that haunted, yet, somehow pleased him in his dreams. He couldn't help but to relax in a state of simple pleasure when thinking about her. To him, she seemed perfect in every way possible. Sure, the last time he had saw her was six years ago, but he did promise her that he would return… and he would keep his word, for her sake and his.

The warm and fuzzy memories he had of Chihiro always brought him a sense of warmth to his heart. She was his heart, his everything. Even after all of those long years passed by, he couldn't help but to still naturally love her. She wasn't the prettiest girl he met, not even the cutest. Yet, he always loved her like she was the only thing that was important in his world.

Even until now, Haku could clearly recall the faint scent of cinnamon that lingered on her body, her beautiful chestnut eyes, her childish complexion; these little details of Chihiro he held dear to his heart. He could remember the way she ate her food, the way she sat down, the way she smiled; everything about her seemed perfect in his eyes. If he knew that he would miss her this much after a few years passed, he would have spent all of his time with her in the past… memorizing everything that made her… well, just Chihiro. Haku chuckled to himself, amused with his Chihiro-obsession; he could even remember her clumsiness and stubbornness too!

Sometimes, when he remembered of his last moments with Chihiro… Haku would curse himself of that memory. He could still recall the faint, but comforting, warmth that remained on his hand… before he had released her small hand from his gentle grasp. He could still remember every detail of that moment… like the way her ponytail moved in the wind, as she sprinted her way to the gate between two worlds… never looking back at him. The whole moment seemed almost perfect… but Haku always asked himself: why did he _not_ confess his love for Chihiro before she left? 

A few years after her departure, Haku had taken utmost regret of the fact that she still didn't know of the feelings he held for her. Every time he visited that grassy and sacred place, he would picture that precious memory in his mind… and wonder why he never professed his affections for the wonderful girl. Sometimes, Haku would even wonder if things would have improved in his life… if he had just told her those three famous and important words. But then again… how would he know what love was at the time? After all, he had only been staying at the Spirit World for only a couple of years.

As time went by, Haku had matured into a young, attractive man. Though he had grown up into a fine and strong male, Haku still held his love for flying through the skies and running across the peaceful hills, letting out his peaceful spirit. Aside from this, Haku started setting himself higher standards and more demanding needs… needs of love and needs of her… his one, _his Chihiro. Every single day that passed by, there wasn't a time that didn't think about Chihiro. He craved her touch, her voice, and everything else that made her, his love._

Six whole years had passed, and he still wasn't able to visit her, much to his disappointment and agony. He cursed fate and destiny; life was _too _cruel to him, even though he was a respectful, obedient, and hard-working worker at the bathhouse. Haku sighed at the thought, as he remembered that "luck" of his, when he asked Yu-Baaba for his own freedom. Right after Chihiro had left, he had asked, no… more like pleaded, for Yu-Baaba to release him from his contract.

He should have known better. Though Yu-Baaba had held some admiration and love for Haku, she wasn't the type to let go of potential workers so easily. After all, it wasn't everyday that you can find a river spirit like him, willing enough to work in a bathhouse. Most spirits of his class wouldn't even bother to take a job such as the one that Haku had, even if it was their last chance of survival. It took a lot for Haku to swallow his pride and ask for a job at the bathhouse, after he had lost his river in the human world.

So instead of spending the next six years with his beloved Chihiro, like in his dreams, he was at the bathhouse… working to the guidelines of Yu-Baaba's contract. The contract made and agreed upon by Yu-Baaba and himself… stated that he would no longer be bound to the Spirit World permanently; that he could travel to the human world freely and legally… but _only _after working for Yu-Baaba for six entire years. Though he was granted the freedom of passing through these two worlds, Haku would still have to work for the bathhouse… and for Yu-Baaba. But, the most important part of this contract was the fact that Haku would finally receive the rare item he needed to visit the Spirit World; the Amulet of Life.

The Amulet of Life was a rare artifact that was created thousands of years ago, well known by many spirits for its amazing and unique powers. Though the spirits do not know who exactly created these Amulets of Life, these magical artifacts were told and included in many of the well-known folktales… and all of the ancient scriptures. Well-educated historians, and those who have lived for what equaled to several human lifetimes knew of the Amulets' true powers. And through the word of mouth, young spirits were taught about these ancient scriptures… which include legends of the Spirit World's past. Though these legends have never been verified for its factuality, it had long become tradition for the elderly spirits to tell of these fascinating tales. 

But… those who had special connections to the most powerful of magically-powered beings knew that the Amulets of Life existed. Because the Amulets of Life mainly used life magic as its source of power, the spells and enchantments that the artifacts were able to cast and offer were not used for destruction or violence. Therefore, the Amulet of Life was not being demanded by many… for it held no physical or destructive magic whatsoever. The Amulets of Life were merely artifacts to be collected or used for those that were studying life magic… or were accumulating rare or mysterious items. 

Though it held no destructive powers, the magic that the Amulets of Life had were still remarkable in some eyes.   
All of the Amulets of Life were exactly the same, each bearing the identical three special abilities: the spell for prolonged youth and beauty, the ability to cure most poisons and illnesses, and… the capability to transform into human form. Needless to say, the transformation into human form was a most peculiar ability… where most spirits had no interests for. But… this power did spark some controversies and theories amongst historians, who believed that the Amulets of Life might be in some way… related to humans.

But even with its unique and special magic, it took a lot of trouble and money to even acquire one. Unfortunately, it was well-known and confirmed that there were only three copies of the Amulet of Life made… which already had owners. One of these amulets belonged to the Usagi family, one of the most prominent and powerful families in the Spirit World. And surprisingly, the last two copies of the amulet belonged to none other than… Yu-Baaba, Haku's own boss.

However… the six years of work stated in Haku's agreement did not fully pay for the Amulet of Life, as Yu-Baaba soon pointed out to him before signing the contract. The contract only offered to loan out the Amulet of Life for these six years of harsh labor. Therefore, to fully earn the Amulet of Life, a separate contract was made… stating that Haku would earn the full rights and ownership of the amulet, _only _if he paid the other half of the amulet's price by ultra-rare, magical objects. Therefore, Haku also had to chip in even _more extra work… just to attain other rare artifacts to trade for this amulet. _

Spirits had the capabilities to travel to the human world, without turning into human form. However, it was a punishable law that spirits who revealed their true origins in the human world would be sentenced to life imprisonment or… death.  Nevertheless, not all spirits could legally travel to the human world… even in human form. In the past, many notorious spirits abused the use of transformation spells, and committed violent and sick acts against humans… just for the sake of satisfying their lack of amusement. 

As a result, many of the Spirit World's authoritative leaders decided that a spirit needed special permission from the High Council, before he/she could travel to the human world. The High Council was a special elected group that dictated and formed laws and rules in the Spirit World, only when they thought these rules and laws were needed and top-priority. Ever since the arrival of his love, the High Council were deeply worried that other humans… who weren't as peaceful or considerate as Chihiro, would exploit the Spirit World… or worse, announce the existence of the Spirit World to other humans. Therefore, the High Council did everything in its power to stop the income of humans to the Spirit World… and vice versa. The High Council's believed that if spirits and humans came into as least contact as possible, peace amongst the two worlds could be maintained with much more ease.

However, in Haku's case… he didn't really need to worry about the High Council; he already got the permission he needed… ahead of time. Usually… getting permission from the High Council would take months… or even years. Luckily, for Haku, he knew some of the members of the High Council personally. Haku had been planning out the best and fastest ways to reach Chihiro for years now, and all he needed now was the Amulet of Life. Everything was almost set; he would almost be finally able to leave the Spirit World, in search of his love… _his _Chihiro.

Thankfully, it would only be two more days before he could finally enter the human world and rejoice with his loved one. He had been dreaming of reuniting with Chihiro for the last six years. In two days, Haku's once… fantastical dreams would finally come true. Before falling to sleep, the excited and optimistic male hoped that Chihiro would still remember him, and that somewhere in her heart... she still had a special place for him.


	3. Reflecting on the Past

**Undying Love – Reflecting on the Past**

**Author's Note: **Wheeee! Third chapter up! For the next couple of the chapters, they'll mostly be focused on preparing Haku for his reunion, and introducing new characters from the Spirit World. These new characters will be essential for the later chapter plots. *grins* Just to tell you know, I'll be also adding a LOT of spirit-related conflicts along the way as well. You didn't think that Haku and Chihiro could just live happily ever after that easily, did you? =P *would love ideas on Japanese character names* I need some new character names. Any suggestions you have are welcomed. ^^ And any ideas you have to continue the story are welcome as well. *also appreciates FRIENDLY and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism* =P Notice the word, FRIENDLY. *wink* XD

Light pierced through the small spaces in the windows, as Haku tried shielding his eyes with his hands. Early mornings and daylight never worked well for Haku. Though he was able to squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep that night, he couldn't help but dream and think about Chihiro all night. She was getting to him. He spent 6 years waiting for this time to come. Who wouldn't be excited about this?

Haku groggily got up from his bed and did that normal "yawn as much as possible and stretch your body" routine. Afterwards, he casually walked up to his small closet, and messily rummaged through his messy hill of clothing. He chuckled. Rin would definitely be giving him one of those hour-long lectures about keeping his clothes organized. Then again, he didn't really care. He had enough boring lectures from Rin every single day, enough that Haku had considered them as part of his daily routine.

Finally, he spotted his eyes on an unused blue and white robe and slipped it on. He walked over to the window and stared at the beautiful, sunny skies. Haku always had a love for nature, ever since he was little. It was one of the only things that he thought were still pure and perfect in the world, like his Chihiro. 

He sighed. Only one more day to go… and he would be able to finally see her after all of these years. He stared at the sky some more, daydreaming about all of the wonderful things that Chihiro and him could do together, once reunited. Having Chihiro by his side for eternity would mean being in heaven, even if he still ended up doing all of Yu-Baaba's harsh, dirty work. At least he would have Chihiro through all of the hard times, supporting him every step of the way, good or bad…

Then again, he was being a little too hopeful. What happens if Chihiro no longer lived near the doorway to the Spirit World? What happens if she moved again? That would mean having to probably spending days, months, or maybe, even years, trying to find her. For all he could have known, she could already be living in some other country. 

Haku sighed again. For some reason, he always found himself shooting down his hopes, especially when he actually started thinking really hard. Though Haku was usually confident in his decisions, he always seemed to question himself every time it came to Chihiro. Then again, Chihiro was probably the only thing in his life that he cared and… loved. 

He needed to make sure that Chihiro and he would be reunited. He knew the day that he set his eyes on this magnificent beauty; they were destined to be together. They're bond was like the sun and the moon; unbreakable and destined to be together for eternity. 

Besides, he couldn't live without Chihiro. Chihiro was his sun, his earth, and his air. He needed her to live. Ever since he met Chihiro, he had a purpose in life. Instead of working mindlessly each day, he would have actual meaning in living. He would have Chihiro, and he would always be there to love her like as if she was the only thing worth living for. She had awoken him so much, and made him feel things that he never felt before, such as… love. 

As far as he was concerned, as long as he was still able to function… he would never return to his meaningless and struggling life. He didn't want to. Who would want to return to a life without purpose or without... Chihiro?


	4. Intense Rivalry

**Undying Love – Intense Rivalry**

**Author's Note: ***cheers* Lookie, lookie! Chapter 4 is complete and ready! As you will read on in this chapter, I have introduced a new character to the story. It took me some time to create this character. XD Mwahahaha… *grins evilly* I hope you like it! ^^ BTW… after you are done reading my chapter, please review it. *loves to read your reviews and your suggestions of improvement* Thanks everyone! *hugz*

Several hours had passed quickly that day. Though Haku was busy doing Yu-Baaba's dangerous work all day, he couldn't help but to keep his mind off his work most of the time. Instead of concentrating on his work, he was imagining of the happiness Chihiro and he would share once they reunited. Only a couple of more hours to go, and Yu-Baaba would finally give him the Amulet of Life that would grant him passage to the human world and a human form. He waited for this opportunity for 6 years, and after all of the sacrifices he made, his dreams would finally come true. 

A few hours later… there he was, sitting one of Yu-Baaba's leather chairs, waiting for her to come. He tapped his foot impatiently. What took Yu-Baaba so long? Haku had been waiting for her for half an hour already, to receive the Amulet of Life that he rightfully earned. And yet, there was no sign of her for the moment. 

_'I bet this is some kind of sick torture that Yu-Baaba has cooked up this time, making me desperately wait for her. I bet she's probably in one of the other rooms, laughing her head off at the sight of a river spirit, anxiously waiting for an old hag…'_ Haku thought to himself. All of a sudden, his dark thoughts were cut off as Yu-Baaba came into the room with… Raisuke.

No wonder she was late. She was with that lowly river spirit, Raisuke. He stared right into Raisuke's blue eyes in disgust, and Raisuke flashed an innocent grin. Raisuke got to Haku's nerves the first day he saw him. Raisuke was arrogant and talked too freely for his good. Besides, Haku always hated how Raisuke never took him seriously. Raisuke always played those innocent and immature games with his head, driving him crazy. There wasn't a time when Haku prayed that Raisuke would just shut up.

Raisuke was basically a somewhat-powerful river spirit such as himself. Raisuke was Yu-Baaba's second apprentice. Ever since the destruction and debt that No Face left to the bathhouse, Yu-Baaba hired another apprentice to help her pay off the bathhouse's debts. Raisuke came to the bathhouse about 2 weeks after Chihiro's depressing leave. 

Ever since Raisuke was assigned the same position as Haku, Haku was annoyed with him. Haku had to practically beg for Yu-Baaba to give him a job at the bathhouse, and Raisuke got it easy. Raisuke was just some spoiled stranger, son of one of the most powerful river spirits in the Spirit World. And while Haku had to work hard for his position, Yu-Baaba freely gave Raisuke the same position that Haku had to earn himself! Raisuke didn't even work half of the time! It wasn't fair. In all honesty, Raisuke was some spoiled and arrogant spirit who thought that he was better than everyone else… just because he came from a powerful family. 

_'Pfft. Stupid Raisuke.__ Why did he have to come here? I was already miserable enough with Chihiro's leave, and then this arrogant jerk had to come along. What luck I have. Since both of us have the same position, Yu-Baaba always assigns us to the same jobs, making us… partners.' Haku exclaimed to himself in disgust, at the thought of Raisuke and he being partners. Just the thought of Raisuke already made him sick._

It wasn't that Raisuke actually did anything wrong, well not directly, anyways. But with his everlasting arrogance and his large chatterbox working at the same time, it wasn't hard to hate a guy like him. 

Haku wasn't the only one who shared this opinion. Mostly all of the male workers in the bathhouse had a "secret" disgust for him too, probably because of his arrogant attitude and non-stop bragging. 

On the other hand though, all of the women loved, no… worshipped him. It wasn't very surprising to Haku that Raisuke would attract many women. Though he was a jerk by all means, he was very physically attractive for his age. Raisuke also had lots of charm to go around, with his flirting experience and non-stop babbling. Raisuke was highly athletic as well, and he even belonged to one of the most popular and powerful river spirit families in the Spirit World. He was practically the perfect example of the ideal man that any girl could fall in love with at first sight, with all of the bells and whistles. 

Raisuke, being about the same age as Haku, was about as tall as him. Raisuke was a lively, young man with probably the most handsome and lively blue eyes that a girl ever saw. His eyes alone radiated like bright stars in the night sky, acting like an addictive aphrodisiac to any girl that set eyes on them. Raisuke also had a chin-length hair style, just like Haku's, except his hair was in a golden yellow color. His overall body was well-built too, showing show his strong and attractive complexion. It seemed as though his body was created perfectly, showing no flaws at all. 

Haku basically considered Raisuke as a glitch to his life, a problem, a pest, and a rival. Raisuke's need for attention and his arrogance always annoyed Haku to an extent that he tried to ignore him. He hated the fact that the girls could actually like something that was as self-centered as Raisuke. That thought sickened him even more, if it was possible. And for some reason, Raisuke always teased him and treated him like a child. He was first at the bathhouse before Raisuke… what right did Raisuke have to boss him around and treat him like an unequal?

He sighed in discontent. All of a sudden, Haku's train of thought went off its track, as a familiar and angry voice pierced through his cluttered mind…


	5. Amulet of Life

**Undying Love – Amulet of Life**

**Author's Note: ***gasp* I'm so sorry I haven't updated this story in about a week! I'm now only limited to about 15 minutes of Internet on a weekday, and 30 minutes on a weekend. I've had to limit my time on writing this fan fiction, and my time spent on the Internet, since I'm realized that my school marks have degraded because I spend TOO much time on non-school things. But, just to tell you know, I will STILL continue the story and I will STILL update it! ^^ Even though I am limited on my Internet time, I can still write these fan fictions in my spare time. *grins happily* Of course, when summer comes, you can expect this story to be updated a LOT more often. Anyways, hope you like this chapter! *would love you to review as well*

"HAKU!" Yu-Baaba screamed angrily, after calling his name several times in frustration. 

Haku sharply gasped at Yu-Baaba's sudden outburst of rage, and cursed himself for his stupidity. He was so warped into his everlasting hatred for Raisuke that he forgot to acknowledge the whole fact that Yu-Baaba was trying to talk to him for the last minute or two. And knowing Yu-Baaba… she hated being ignored. 

_'Please gods… I worked hard to earn this Amulet of Life from Yu-Baaba. Please don't tell me screw up this chance to finally meet Chihiro after all of these years… Pfft. I'm overreacting! All I need to do is to make sure that I'm still respectful and presentable to Yu-Baaba… at least until I get that amulet.' _Haku thought to himself, praying for a miracle to save himself from the horror that was before him.

"Umm… y-yes?" Haku replied, stuttering his words in nervousness. He was so close to getting was he rightfully deserved; he couldn't fail. He just couldn't. He spent six years working hard for this, and he wasn't going to give up those harsh years of work just because his hardheaded mind and mouth decided to blurt out some… unpleasant thoughts.

"FINALLY! Honestly, trying to anger me before getting your payment isn't a wise thing. But, just be thankful that I happen to be in a better mood than usual…"

"I'm so sorry that I didn't reply earlier… I was… um… I lost my concentration in my thoughts. It won't happen again, Yu-Baaba… I promise…" Haku apologized, bowing his head down in disappointment. Haku kept on continuing his tediously boring, apology, as Yu-Baaba interrupted him… thankfully.

"Okay, just STOP! I get your point, Haku! I don't have all day to listen to your endless apologies. Anyways, let's get this over with, before I begin to lose my mind…" Yu-Baaba quipped, as she started rummaging through her cluttered box of expensive and rare treasures. 

Haku just stared at her, for what seemed like hours. Yu-Baaba had sent Haku and Raisuke to many missions over the last few weeks, and Yu-Baaba was too busy managing the bathhouse. Ever since Chihiro had served a powerful spirit in the bathhouse years ago, the bathhouse had more customers pouring in from all around the Spirit World, due to some positive exposure. As a result, Yu-Baaba never got the time to bother to ask someone to organize her box of treasures or to organize them herself. Finally, after several more minutes, she raised her head from her treasure box, holding the Amulet of Life in her hands. 

It was no wonder many spirits wanted possession of this Amulet of Life. Aside from its special magic and unbelievable rarity, it was probably the most beautiful thing that Haku ever saw in his life… other than Chihiro, of course. 

The Amulet of Life was mainly of a luxurious, forest-green color, with a beautiful gold chain, carved with the ancient text of powerful spells. The Amulet of Life was about the size of a regular necklace, and yet, was worth more than all of the necklaces in the world… put together. The Amulet of Life had a small pendant hanging down from it, purely made of emerald. The pendant itself was just a pure beauty, and glowed in many tints of green, emanating mighty magic of mostly healing properties. The emerald too, was stunning. The emerald itself was of a crystalline-form, and still contained all of the glowing and magic properties that magical emeralds are only supposed to have. Since magical emeralds of that sort could no longer be found in the Spirit World, or the human world; that Amulet of Life would definitely be something worth treasuring. 

"Here, take it and run off to your beloved Chihiro. I've done my part of the agreement, and therefore, I don't expect to hear any more of your complaints. Do you hear me, Haku?" Yu-Baaba exclaimed, as she aimlessly threw the amulet to Haku.

"Yes, Yu-Baaba. I… before I go… I want to thank you for giving me this amulet. It's the only thing that I have left to reunite with Chihiro once again… and I've ever-grateful for it…" Haku replied, in extreme gratitude. He finally received the amulet after six years… and now, all that was needed was to use it to travel to the human world, and meet with Chihiro once again.

"Ugh… don't get all sappy, Haku. I still expect you to be fit for work again, once you return. Remember that the time you spend in the human world will have to be worked off, when you return to the Spirit World. I've granted your wish. I have no more time to spare on this issue. Now, get out of my sight!"

"Thank you, Yu-Baaba…" Haku whispered softly, as he bowed and made his way out of the room. 


	6. Deep in Thought

**Undying Love – Deep in Thought**

**Author's Note: **Oooh… chapter 6! See? ^^ Mwahaha… a little bit of verbal rivalry between Haku and Raisuke at the beginning of the chapter, but it will MOSTLY focus on Haku's preparation to travel to the human world. It will focus on his personal thoughts once again as well. Mwahahaha… isn't that cool? And I'm sure most of the readers are probably happy that Haku will FINALLY be meeting up with Chihiro in the later chapters. Read and review please! *would love ANY polite and constructive criticism you have to offer*

Right after Haku left Yu-Baaba's room, he slipped on the magnificent amulet on his neck. It was late evening already, and Haku made his way to the elevator. He needed to first ask for some help. He couldn't just go to the human world alone. He needed people who had experience with the human world before, and who he could trust to offer him the support and advice he needed.

After all, he was a river spirit all of his life. Though Haku had once stayed in the human world, he was only a river at the time. He never could take human form before in Chihiro's world, and only knew one way to live, as a river spirit. One thing was for sure, he wouldn't last one day in the human world without assistance. And even if he did manage to pull off a miracle and survive in the human world for a few days, he still didn't know how to fit with the normal, teenage society. That alone would cause him many complications to his social life in the human world. 

All of a sudden, Haku heard faint footsteps behind him. He knew who was behind him before he even turned around. Haku groaned in disgust and focused his eyes on the floor, trying to ignore the person behind him. Of course, it was the one and only… Raisuke.

"My, my, my… Haku, what's with the frown on your face? You've finally received the chance to visit that pretty Chihiro I've heard so much about for the last few years… I don't see anything that you have to be sad about. Tell me, is there anything I can do to help you out?" Raisuke asked, as he flashed off his innocent grin once again. Haku sighed to himself. It always seemed that his attempts of ignoring Raisuke always came to a disappointing and hopeless end. 

_'Hmm… now that you mention it, there is something you can do to help me out. You can go to hell, Raisuke. Go to hell and leave me in peace…' _Haku quipped to himself. He wanted to blurt that out in front of Raisuke, right there and then. But, Haku just couldn't. He was still close to Yu-Baaba's office; therefore, she could probably overhear any conversation that took place here. And if he started to say unwanted insults that she didn't like, he could be expecting to work for the next couple of years, trying to regain the Amulet of Life again.

"Thanks for offering help, but no need to worry. I'm fine. I've just had a long day… that's all…" Haku replied politely.

_'What am I doing?! I'm actually trying to be civil to him for once. Then again, Raisuke is not worth my time… and I can't afford to lose my only chance in seeing my Chihiro once again. He isn't worth all of this trouble… and with his arrogance; he probably wouldn't go down without a fight…' _Haku thought to himself, trying to hide his anger and frustration.

"Whatever you say, Haku… Just wondering, but how to do plan to reunite with this Chihiro of yours, if you don't even know where she lives?" Raisuke questioned him, smirking off his grin of triumph. 

That question immediately stabbed Haku right in the heart. Raisuke was right… for once. The only thing he knew was that six years ago, she was probably living somewhere close to the gateway between the Spirit World and the human world. And it was true; he didn't even know where she actually lived, which would definitely lower his chances to see Chihiro soon. Then, the same idea entered his mind once again… what happens if she moved again? 

"I'll find a way… I always do. Anyways, I have to really get going now, Raisuke…" Haku exclaimed, trying to hide his new worry, as he took the elevator to his bedroom. To his luck, Raisuke didn't follow him to the elevator. Haku sighed in relief. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to stay civil for Raisuke.

After finally making his way to his bedroom in peace, he sat on the side of his bed and wondered. Who were people that he could count on? Who were people who perhaps, had some experience in the human world? Who were people that could help him adjust to the human world during his stay there? Who were people who cared about Chihiro and her well-being, as well as his own? 

Finally, a grin spread across his face. He knew there were three people he could count on to help him and Chihiro out; three people that would be willingly to help him achieve his goal; three people who he could give him any kind of support he needed. These three people were; Rin, Kamajii, and Zeniiba.


	7. Asking For Assistance

**Undying Love – Asking For Assistance**

**Author's Note: **Chapter 7 is up! ^___^ Check it out! It's EXTRA long, about 2 and a half pages on Microsoft Word, because of all of the talking you'll read on later on! It focuses on Haku asking for help… since he has absolutely no experience in living in the human world. I'm trying to make the problems and conflicts as real as possible. I first thought of not making so many conflicts, but I have to be realistic. Haku only lived in the human world as a river; therefore, you can't just expect him to meet Chihiro right away, without beforehand preparation. XD That would be REALLY unrealistic, don't you think? o__x I'm trying to make sure that this story has no flaws, if possible, and is enjoyable and realistic at the same time. *grins* Read and review, please! ^^ BTW… just to tell you know, Kamajii and Zeniiba are NOT spelling mistakes! Those are the CORRECT ways of spelling them. You can check out the spelling for yourself if you watch the Spirited Away DVD with the original captions on, or if you search it up on reliable character info sites on Spirited Away characters.

Later that night, Haku had asked Rin and Kamajii to meet at Zeniiba's house. Though as much as he hated to admit it, Haku needed their help, or else he wouldn't be able to survive in the human world. Even though Haku was a powerful river spirit, there were just some things that magic couldn't solve, like acting socially normal in the human society. Well, what did he expect? He only lived as a river in the human world, after all.

"Ahh… welcome, Haku! Rin, Kamajii, and I have been waiting for you…" Zeniiba said cheerfully, as she welcomed him into her cozy home.

It was actually very awkward, how two twins who were equally as powerful and practically looked the same, could have exactly opposite personalities and opinions. Unlike Yu-Baaba, Zeniiba was a lot friendlier, and she didn't care for things such as riches or power. Zeniiba was a lot more understanding as well, and always welcomed anyone who needed help. She was honest, caring, and supportive of those that needed it, in her own, secretive ways. These were the traits that Haku loved about her, and which led him to treat her like his own mother… or grandmother, to be exact.

Zeniiba's home was a small cottage located at Swamp Bottom, away from the bathhouse and loud commotion. Unlike Yu-Baaba, Zeniiba didn't have any fancy furnitures, fixtures, or decorations of any sort. In fact, Zeniiba's home was probably as simple as a home could get. The only things that Zeniiba had in her home were basic things to survive or things that were common to any home. Zeniiba never cared for such luxurious things, unlike her twin sister. Her home was probably smaller than Yu-Baaba's by a large amount, but Zeniiba didn't really seem to care. And even though Zeniiba's home didn't seem as luxurious or as large as her sister's, there was still something in Zeniiba's home that made anyone feel right at home. 

"Thanks everyone for coming. I really appreciate it that you could spend some time to see me…" Haku exclaimed to everyone in gratitude, as he joined the others sitting around the wooden, dining table.

"Ahh… don't mention it, Haku! You can always count on us to help you… right, Rin?" Kamajii said happily.

"Hehe… anything that has to do with helping you and the clumsy dork, I'm in!" Rin replied, nonchalantly.

"So… let's get down to business, Haku. You've already received the Amulet of Life from Yu-Baaba; therefore, it allows you passage and human form in the human world. Was there something wrong with the amulet?" Zeniiba asked, as she poured Haku a cup of tea.

"No, no, no… nothing like that. Actually, I came to ask all of you for help on… umm…"

"Oh Haku… go on. No need to be nervous in front of your friends! You need help on what exactly?" Zeniiba questioned curiously.

"Err… how do I say this? I…umm… I need someone to teach me how to live as a human… well, actually, to be exact… a teenager…" Haku exclaimed, as his cheeks flushed bright red.

All of a sudden, a small giggle could be heard. Everyone turned their heads to see Rin's hand over her mouth, as her shoulders were shaking slightly. She tried controlling her laughter, and after a few more seconds… her uncontrollable laughter could be heard throughout the room. Well, at least you could give her some credit for trying.

"Ahahahahaha! Haku… you were being so serious and everything… and I thought your problem was more threatening than this! You don't know how to live as a teenager? Ahaha. It's no wonder you have problems like this… you never learn how to have a little bit of fun…" Rin quipped, laughing every few seconds.

"IT ISN'T FUNNY! I need someone to teach me how to live as a teenager and to adapt to their ways. I can't go to Chihiro, without having any experience about acting like a regular human! I've only learned how to live as a river in the human world, okay? I won't be able to survive in her world at this rate… and if that happens, my chances of finding Chihiro will be even worse…" Haku exclaimed in frustration, as he glared angrily at Rin.

"Oops. Sorry about that, Haku. It's just not every day that people go around asking pointers on how to live as a normal human. Then again, you have a point. You'll definitely need some help before you can show up publicly in front of other people, like Chihiro…" 

Haku knew that the two favors that he was about to ask of Rin and Kamajii would be very large on their parts. He'd be asking them to spend a lot of their time, trying to teach him the human ways of living. He'd also be asking them to stay with him in the human world to pretend to be his foster parents. He only hoped that they would still be willingly to help him through all of this, hopefully. 

"I have two big favors to ask of both of you, Rin and Kamajii. But, I really am at a lost at this… Two days ago, Zeniiba told me of a place called a 'school', a place where children like Chihiro go to learn different things. She said that the best place to look for Chihiro would be there. But, I have two problems…" Haku asked, his eyes reflecting worry.

"What are these two problems, Haku?" Zeniiba asked.

"Well, you see, after you told me about school, you told me that the school would be asking for personal information too. I know that the spell you already conjured assures me a residence and an identity in the human world, but you do realize that they might be asking to see my parents too. And since I look like I'm only 16 years old, I wouldn't be old enough that they'd consider me as my own guardian. Therefore… that is where you two, Rin and Kamajii, come in…"  

Rin's eyes widened and her eyes grew as large as golf balls. "Oh god, I'm not that old… am I? How come I have this weird feeling that you are going to be asking of us something that is very unusual? Are you saying that you want Kamajii and I… to pretend to be your parents… is that it, Haku?"

"Err… yes… but there is another reason I need you two. As I said before, I have no clue as to living the life of a human. But, Rin, before you entered the Spirit World because… of… your… umm… death… you used to live in the human world as an actual human. I need you to help me adjust and prepare me for this 'school' I've heard so much about. And I don't think I can prepare myself for this task on my own. Therefore, I need both you and Kamajii at my side, just in case if anything goes wrong… So… umm… will you help me? I mean, if it is too much to ask… I can understand if you don't want to do this… I mean that I am asking a lot after all and…" Haku exclaimed nervously, continuing on his tedious and repetitive blabbing.

"Haku… calm down, okay? You act like as if we're going to reject your plea of help. You haven't even heard what we have to say…" Rin replied, thankful that Haku finally stopped that blabbing of his.

"Uh… and what do you have to say?"

"For my part, I'm sorry… but I can't help you…" Rin exclaimed sarcastically.

"WHAT?! You gave me that long speech about me calming down and…"

"Oh boy, Haku… you need some work, that's for sure…" Rin quipped, winking at Kamajii.

"Huh? I don't get it… I thought you weren't helping me…"

"My god, Haku! Have you heard of sarcasm before?" Rin questioned knowingly.

"Not that I know of, I think. Is this one of the things I'll need to learn?"

"Ahaha… that's for sure. Since you'd be about 16 years of age in your human identity, you'd be going to a high school. Sarcasm is a common way for students to insult others or send indirect messages to each other. Sarcasm is like a tone you use when you mean the opposite of what you say. One thing is for sure, it wouldn't be a good start for you at school… if you don't pick up on these concepts fast…"

"Uhh… so… that means you meant the opposite of what you said earlier? So, you are going to help me, right?" Haku asked, biting his lower lip in concern.

"Of course! Besides, you'll probably need as much help as you can get. Kamajii going to help too, right?" Rin exclaimed happily, turning her head towards Kamajii. Kamajii nodded in agreement. 

"It's settled then. We are traveling with you to the human world!" Rin cheered, jumping up and down. 

Haku sighed in relief. With Kamajii and Rin traveling with him to the human world, it definitely would be something far from boring. One thing was for sure, this was the beginning of a very interesting journey.  


	8. Reaching the Human World

**Undying Love – Reaching the Human World**

**Author's Note: **YAY! Chapter 8 is here! I wrote the other chapters, and then I couldn't resist making another one! *grins* Besides, I know that a LOT of the readers have been anxiously waiting for Haku to FINALLY reach the human world. Sometimes, I write about 2 chapters a day, if it is a weekend. If it is so, I usually release only 1 chapter a day, so that I can see the most recent reviews and see if I need to change anything on the later chapters. There is a little bit of more talking here as well, just to tell you know. I saw some of the reviews yesterday, and people were asking why Kaonashi (No Face) wasn't in the story and how Kamajii can be Haku's foster parent if he has 6 arms. XD Sorry about those misunderstandings; I had the explanations in this chapter. ^^ Read and review! *loves reading your reviews*

"I don't want to break your hope, but how do you plan to give Rin and Kamajii human forms?" Zeniiba asked, giving Haku a curious stare.

"Well, I know that the Amulet of Life can regenerate the magic that it has. Since the pendant itself is the one with all of the magic, and since it is made out of a magical emerald… I was wondering if you could drain out some of the glowing substance from that emerald… and use it to make a temporary spell that would give Rin and Kamajii human forms for their stay in the human world…" Haku replied, taking off his amulet and giving it to Zeniiba.

"Ahh… yes. I guess that would work. But, do note that Rin and Kamajii will only be able to stay for a maximum of 2 weeks in the human world with their human forms. If they do not manage to return to this world before the time limit, they will end up gradually disappearing from existence, completely… But, other than that, that spell would work fine!"

"Two weeks only? Can't you make it a little longer?" Haku asked.

"Sorry, Haku. Since the glowing substance I'll be using for the spell is limited, so will be the spell itself. Two weeks is the best I can do…" Zeniiba replied, regretfully.

"If that's the best you can do, I guess we have no choice… we'll just have to work really fast then. How long will it take you to make these two spells for Rin and Kamajii?"

"Give me three hours…" Zeniiba replied, finishing her cup of tea.

"Three hours? Is there any way to make it faster?" questioned Haku, desperately.

"I can't make it any faster than that. Remember that this spell you are asking of me is very complicated to make, and one mistake… and the whole spell will be ruined, and I'd have to start over again. Besides, I don't have Kaonashi here to help me anymore, ever since he left 3 years ago…" answered Zeniiba. 

"Fine then… but make sure that you make the spell properly!" Haku exclaimed.  

"Of course, my dear boy! Three hours and I'll have both spells ready for you!" Zeniiba exclaimed, as she took the Amulet of Life and started working on the spell.

Three hours later, Zeniiba had finally finished her spells for Rin and Kamajii. The spells were in a liquid form, and would be drunk once both Rin and Kamajii reached the human world. Both Rin and Kamajii would take human form, and guaranteed identities that Zeniiba supplied from another special spell of hers. From there, Haku and the others would have one week to train him for school, and one week to find Chihiro.

"Now, remember about what I said earlier. No longer than 2 weeks in the human world… and make sure to also eat some food from the human world as well, to make sure that your human form is stable! Understand, everyone?" Zeniiba exclaimed, as she gave Rin and Kamajii a bottle of the human form spell… and returned the Amulet of Life to Haku.

Everyone nodded. There were a few more minutes of long goodbyes and hugs, as Rin and Kamajii left the house. Haku was about to just leave too, but then a hand firmly grabbed his shoulder…

"Haku, before you go… remember that you are still able to use your powers. Just be careful with those powers in the presence of humans, okay?" Zeniiba exclaimed.

"I'll make sure of that…" Haku replied calmly.

"By the way, when you do find Chihiro, tell her to come see me sometime! Well… good luck and see you soon, Haku!" Zeniiba hugged him, and watched him exit her house, hoping that everything would turn out just fine.

Finally, after about a half an hour walk through the restaurants and down the grassy hills, Haku and the others finally reached the doorway… the one that separated the Spirit World from the human world. It had been such a long time since Haku had visited the doorway, ever since Chihiro had departed and left for the human world. It looked the same as it did six years ago. It brought Haku more, old memories of the past. 

_"What about you? What'll you do?"_

_"Don't worry, I'll go back and have a talk with Yu-Baaba. I'll tell her I'm going to quit being her apprentice. I'm fine. I got my name back."_

_"Will we meet again sometime?"_

_"Sure we will." _

_"Promise?"___

_"Promise."___

Haku remembered that promise that he had vowed to keep to Chihiro. It seemed like only yesterday when he had promised her that they would be reunited in the future. Never at the time did he think that it would take him several years to finally meet Chihiro once again. Hopefully, Chihiro still valued his promise and remembered of him. Once thing was for sure… Haku made that promise and he never intended to break it. He would make sure that his promise was fulfilled; it was the least he could do for Chihiro. 

Haku sighed. He looked back at his other two loyal companions, Rin and Kamajii. He stared at the doorway to the human world for some time; this would be the first time that he would finally travel to the human world. Not only that, it would also be the first time that Haku would be able to take human form; a physical shell of his own. One more step forward, and it would mean the start of a lot of things that Haku never experienced in his life. He took a deep breath, and walked through the doorway with Rin and Kamajii… preparing himself for a life he never knew of. 


	9. A Week of Preparation

**Undying Love – A Week of Preparation**

**Author's Note: **YAY! Chapter 9! ^^ *cheers happily* I have also taken into your consideration of the new reviews I read from my readers about my "short" chapters, and from the advice of a good friend at school. I'll try making my chapters a little bit longer, perhaps about 1000 words this time. But, this chapter is EXTRA, super-duper… long! Good gawd, it was equal to 5 FULL pages on Microsoft Word, and it took me a WONDERFUL 5-6 hours to write. You'll notice that I ended up getting lazy later on in the chapter, so I only did detailed parts for the 1st and last day of that week! XD And I think people would get pretty bored, just trying to read about 10 pages of Haku… preparing himself for school and all. Besides, if I did ALL of the days… goodness, I don't even want to think how long it would be or how many more hours I would have to write about it! For the readers who have already read the previous chapter, you'll know that Haku has FINALLY reached the human world. *grins* And yes, Chihiro and Haku will be meeting REALLY soon. But, once Haku and Chihiro reunite, the chapters will DEFINITELY be longer… since I'll be writing both of their points of view, usually. Well, read and review my chapter… please. Have fun! ^^ Oh BTW… just to tell you know, I'll be updating a LOT more in the next few days because of the 3-day weekend over here! ^_____^ *grins evilly*

**Day 1: A "Little" Bit of Shopping**

"Hey, sleepyhead… wake up!" screamed Rin in Haku's ear, causing him to immediately fall off his bed and slam his fragile body on the hard, wooden floor.

"Ugh… remind me to lock my door next time before I go to bed. I should have realized it before… that giving you free access to my room is a dangerous thing. And please try a more gentle approach next time, before trying to make me permanently deaf… " Haku exclaimed angrily, as he slowly stood up and rubbed his painful back, trying to reduce the intense aches that were starting.

"I did try waking you up with my 'gentle' approach about 10 times, just to tell you know…" replied Rin, as she sat on the side of his bed and stared at him, waiting for his answer.

"Oh…" Haku said, flushing in about 5 different tints of red. How was he supposed to know? He was sleeping… it wasn't like he had special hearing powers while he was taking a snooze. Besides, you couldn't blame him. He had quite a bit on his mind last night, and the whole fact that Haku and the others arrived in the human world at about two in the morning… it certainly didn't make his situation any better. 

"Still, that was no excuse to go around and attempt to make me deaf…" exclaimed Haku, still frustrated and angry with Rin.

"Oh, just chill out, will you? What else would you have me do? I called and 'nearly' screamed your name 10 times in a row, and what happened? Ahh… yes, you just kept on sleeping. Besides, it wasn't my fault… you left me no choice!" answered Rin.

"Believe what you want to believe then. I have a feeling that this pointless argument will never end if someone doesn't decide to stand down. What's done is done. I can't exactly go around trying to change the past, even though was you did was CLEARLY wrong. Just don't do that again…" said Haku, giving Rin a glare of warning.

"Your wish is my command, Master Haku…" Rin exclaimed cheerfully, as she bowed gracefully in front of Haku, for an extra effect.

"It better be. By the way, what does 'chill out' mean?" Haku asked, naturally confused about the new term he had heard moments ago.

Rin sighed. One thing was for sure, he would need a lot of help. No, scratch that. He would need every kind of help available to mankind, to learn all of the knowledge that a typical 16-year-old would already have. She chuckled to herself. Then again, that innocent and conservative attitude of his was a cute and attractive charm. He'd definitely have no problems attracting girls for that matter, and he'd probably be able to fit in with the other boys once he got used to his school. But, the big question was… would he be able to attract and charm "his" Chihiro?

"Oh, never mind! First day here, and you are ALREADY driving me crazy! Get washed up and dressed. We're going to the shopping mall to find you some new clothes!" Rin exclaimed excitedly, as she made her way out of his bedroom. 

"Uhh… Rin? What's a shopping mall?" asked Haku, confused for a second time that morning.

Just then, Haku had heard Rin's frustrated growl down the hallway. Rin must have been pretty annoyed with him. He'd probably be annoyed with himself too for asking too many questions and being so clueless more than half the time… if it was possible. But, he couldn't help it, even if he wanted to. It was his first time actually living as a human, what could anyone else expect from him?

An hour later, Rin and Haku left Kamajii back at the house. While Rin and Haku would be shopping for his new casual clothes, Kamajii would be phoning the different schools near by and trying to discover which school Chihiro attended. Once that was found, Kamajii would need to register Haku into the school, and sort out any kinds of conflicting formalities that came up. Hopefully, if everything when well and to plan, they'd have Haku attending Chihiro's high school in about a week's time.

Meanwhile, Rin was practically giving Haku the most aggravating time of his life. For the last 6 hours or so, Rin had asked him to try on about 100 different outfits in about half of the stores in the mall… literally. Rin was certainly picky by all means when it came to clothes, but of course; she had a good amount of fashion sense, like any other young adult in her early twenties. Out of all of those different outfits, Rin had only approved a total of 17 of them. 

Though Haku, by all means, was absolutely frustrated with Rin and her sense of pickiness… for once, he was enjoying himself. He was actually enjoying this! It was something new to Haku; trying on different clothes. Never in the Spirit World did they have these places called 'malls'. And Haku had never had the chance to choose or shop for his own clothes. For all of his life in the Spirit World, he had only worn copies of the same outfit, every single day, at the bathhouse. And never did he see so many kids in one place, or stores, for that matter. It was a new experience for him, and as far as he was concerned… he was going to enjoy every minute of it. 

At the end of the day, Haku and Rin had practically bought about 25 different outfits, all of school supplies that Haku would need, and the food they'd need to cook meals, as they returned back home at about 9 in the evening. In Haku's opinion, he thought that Rin and he had accomplished quite a bit today. At the same time, they were able to fit in some time to eat their lunch and dinner, and dessert as well, which he thought was the best part of his whole day. 

_'Mmmm… dessert… ice cream… chocolate…_' Haku thought to himself. It was his first time tasting those things in his life, and, oh my… they were the best tasting foods he ever ate in his life! He'd wish that those tastes had lasted forever in his mouth; the foods were delicious, ESPECIALLY the chocolate. Now, why didn't they have these things back home in the bathhouse? Oh, if only he had discovered these foods sooner… he would have been able to enjoy those years ago!

It was 11 in the late evening, and Haku was lying on his bed, staring at the sky once again. The evening sky was shimmering brightly, with the beautiful, golden stars… which were scattered all over it. As far as he was concerned, it was as though as he had never left his home in the Spirit World. He sighed. A few more days, and he'd be prepared to attend school and reunite with his Chihiro. Only a few more days… and his dreams would finally come true, after 6 harsh years of hard work. Everything seemed perfect so far, just like he had dreamt it to be… as he allowed himself to fall sleep, being engulfed by the gentle darkness of his dreams once again…

_Six days later…_

**Day 7: Final Preparation For School… and Chihiro**

About a week had gone by since Haku had last set foot on his home in the Spirit World, for that matter. He couldn't believe a week could pass so quickly; it's as though as his stay in the human world has just started. Then again, as they always say… time flies when you're having fun! A couple of hundred years of being a river spirit, and yet… he had more fun this last week that has gone by… than in his entire life! Though he had to spend about 4 of those days studying and preparing him for society and school, he found it quite fun. You might think that enjoying hours of study and stuffing his face in books was crazy, but hey… considering the fact that he had been working in the bathhouse and doing Yu-Baaba's dirty work for his entire life; it was quite the refreshing change. 

So, instead of working in the bathhouse and checking on the other workers, like his usual working routine; he was in a detached house located in the human world, reviewing some Grade 11 mathematics. Surprisingly, those last few days of study had been easy for him; Haku even learned all of the knowledge that a 16-year-old student should have… and more. 

And how did he do this? Ahh… yes, through the wonderful books that Rin and he happened to have borrowed from the local library near his new home there. Haku was quite glad to be a river spirit and having special abilities with this; it had become quite helpful. He was able to read a 500-paged book in about 15 minutes, 30 minutes tops; thanks to his magical powers for that wonderful ability. 

Aside from concentrating on his academic preparation, Haku had been working hard on preparing himself for the social part of his challenge. He had been practicing and learning how to talk and act like an average teenager, thanks to Rin and her non-stop commitment. Haku finally wasn't as clueless as before, luckily. He was finally able to socialize with others, normally, and was able to still preserve his original and not to mention… charming, personality. And yes… he was finally able to grasp the concept of sarcasm, along with many other little tidbits, since he was quite the fast learner. Luck had definitely been with Haku for the last couple of days, and just hopefully, that luck would last for him when he would finally see Chihiro… after all of those years.

Even though Haku had spent hours preparing himself for tomorrow's reunion with Chihiro, a realization hit him in his heart. Even with all of this preparation… he still might not be prepared enough for his Chihiro. For all he knew, Chihiro might have thought that he was nothing more than a childish dream all of these years. Perhaps, she thought that he was nothing more than a figment of her 10-year-old imagination…

_'No… no, no, no. Chihiro loves you, she must love you. I know that those short moments that we spent with each other… there was something more between us than just friendship. There just had to be… after all, pure love was what broke the spell…' _Haku thought to himself, remembering the whole fact that the curse on him was lifted because of what Kamajii had claimed to be 'pure' love, which was what shared between them. He just hoped that their love had lasted through all of those harsh and lonely years. 

Then again, why was he complaining and worrying so much today? Haku was considered very lucky that Chihiro didn't even move to some other part of the world in those 6 long years that passed by. After three days of tedious phone calls, Kamajii was able to locate the high school that Chihiro attended, and even had successfully registered Haku in her school. It was very lucky indeed that Chihiro's school even accepted him; after all, it wasn't normal to have new students coming in during that time of the school year. 

He sighed. Less than 24 hours… and Haku would finally meet Chihiro after all of these years. Hopefully, Chihiro would understand why he wasn't able to visit her after so many years, and perhaps continue and develop the relationship they once shared… hopefully.

_Only one more day… only one more day, my dear Chihiro…_

Many hours had passed that day very quickly. Before Haku knew it, it was 6 in the evening; time for dinner. The food in the human world was one of the best things that Haku enjoyed, and one thing was for sure… they were a lot better than the weird, and not to mention, the same meals that they served in the bathhouse for so many years. Sometimes, Haku even wondered how he had survived all of those years with those crummy meals. And after all of these years, scary enough… he still didn't know what those meals actually were!

"So… Haku, how do you like my new recipe? Well, actually… it isn't my recipe, but hey, you got to give me credit for trying to cook something of my own… from the cookbook. After all, I thought that people around here were getting pretty tired of eating the same canned goods, every day…" Rin exclaimed, waiting for a hopeful answer. Then again, she probably knew Haku's answer before he said it… since he was practically stuffing up himself with any of the food he could get his hands on. The Haku she saw before her was definitely one she would have to get used to. Never did she think that Haku could eat so much in one sitting. She always wondered where all of that food went. She probably couldn't even eat one quarter of what Haku ate for lunch, much less… dinner. Then again, grown boys were known to eat quite a bit at this age in life.

"Mmm… umm… mmm… mmm. There, finished digesting all of that food…" Haku replied, as he drank 2 full cups of water afterwards.

"I can… uh… see that. So, what did you think of the food?" Rin asked. 

"It was delicious. You should mashed potatoes with gravy and that steak again, sometime! It's sure; at least, a million times better than what I ate in the bathhouse for the last couple of years…"

"I knew you'd liked it! Hmm… maybe I should consider a profession in cooking when I return to the bathhouse. What about you, Kamajii? You haven't said a thing all dinner… What do you think? Is it good?" questioned Rin, as she turned to face Kamajii.

"Very good indeed, that's for sure, Rin! No need to fish for compliments, though…" Kamajii replied smartly, as he finished his last bit of tender and well-done steak. 

"Just following your lead, Kamajii. I must say, you must give me credit for that effective ability of mine… Then again, I did learn it from the one and only master…" Rin exclaimed, giving Kamajii an evil and mischievous stare. 

"Umm… could you excuse me from dinner? I kind of want to take a walk outside, alone…" Haku asked… interrupting Rin and Kamajii's little playful battle. 

"I don't see what's wrong with that, Haku…" Rin replied calmly.

"Go ahead. But, make sure to not to return to the house too late… okay?" exclaimed Kamajii.

"I'll remember that. I'll see you both later then…" exclaimed Haku, as he made his way out of the cozy house.

Three hours of wandering the peaceful streets and grassy hills made Haku pretty tired. Err… no, 'pretty tired' didn't even give justice to what Haku felt right now. It was more like 'absolutely drained out of every energy reserve left in his body' type of thing. Haku right then wanted to collapse right on the soft, lush grass beneath the soles of his shoes. And Haku did right just that.  

Haku wondered to himself why he even decided taking a 3-hour walk all around town. Right at this point, he pretty much regretted that walk of his; his bones aching for relaxation and a long break from his physically-strained activities. 

Hmm… then again, that tiring walk of his allowed his mind to free up some space. Over the last week, Haku had been thinking way too much for his own good. He questioned practically about everything that happened in his life… until there was basically nothing left to question about. 

And being Haku, it made his situation a little worse. He was never the type to share his inner thoughts, and with his conservative attitude… it was obvious what came next; he kept every one of his thoughts to himself. 

He sighed. Rin was right… thinking too much is bad for you. Very bad… horrifyingly bad… "losing your mind" bad. Haku was at the point that his mind was at the brink of cracking into a million pieces, from the amount of overload of his deepest thoughts. And going crazy right before meeting Chihiro wasn't a good thing at all, that's for sure. 

Just then, Haku realized that he was being stupid again. He was here, alone on a grassy hill, thinking about thinking. Goodness gracious, he was becoming as retarded as crazy people come. Instead, he should be using that brain power of his to figure out what he would do… once he found Chihiro.

At this point, Haku practically stopped thinking about anything. He was absolutely sick of thinking… then again, he was thinking about being sick of thinking. He sighed again. As far as he knew it, he couldn't escape the "wonderful" thoughts of his complicated mind. 

Today was the last day before seeing Chihiro or attending school for the first time… why was he worrying about these things? Tomorrow's problems should only be thought of during tomorrow, not today. 

Besides, maybe… there was no need to worry. Perhaps his luck would turn out a lot better than he expected. And anyways, all of the thinking in the world wouldn't change his fate with Chihiro. His destiny with Chihiro was already set and engraved in the stone tablets of fate as far as he was concerned, and he wasn't going to fight with it. He'd just solve his own problems as they come in time. Hopefully, Chihiro wouldn't be another problem in his life… but a source of happiness and pleasure for the rest of his life.

_I made a promise, and I intended to keep it. I promise from the bottom of my heart that will be reunited… my lovely Chihiro…_


	10. Early Morning Reflections

**Undying Love – Early Morning Reflections**

**Author's Note: **Ooh… lookie! 'Tis Chapter 10! I'd love it if you could review my chapters. *grins* I'm trying to get at LEAST 50 reviews by perhaps… the end of the week. Reviews are ways to tell me that my readers want my stories to go on. I'll love ANY constructive and friendly criticism that will help me improve my writing, or any suggestions on developing the story! *jumps up and down* ^^ I'll try making my chapters a LOT longer now, and do note that both Chihiro and Haku's points of view will be displayed in the story… starting from the next couple of chapters. I'll do this often… by splitting the chapter, when I switch points of view. Often, when I do switch points of view… do note that it is as though, both points of view are being thought at the same time by different characters! Remember that… or else it may get a little confusing in the later chapters! Even though this writing style won't be used on this chapter, I'd thought I'd like to notify the readers… at LEAST one chapter ahead of time! Hope you like the chapter! And as usual… please read and review. Thanks, everyone! =D Oh… BTW, I introduced a new character to this chapter, who will also be a part of some of the next chapters as well! ^^

It has been exactly nine days since she had dreamt about, well… Haku. After that dream nine days ago, Chihiro had tried everything possible to occupy herself and forget about all of those weird dreams. As far as she was concerned… it had been six years since she seen him. It wasn't like he was going to appear in front of her, after all of these years, with welcoming arms. She needed to move on with her life, and to stop dwelling on things that she knew that would never come true. Giving herself too much hope just made it worse at the end, when she finally realized the horror of reality. He wasn't going to come… and waiting for him, for her entire life, wouldn't change a damn thing.

Besides, it's not like she needed Haku… right? Well, she did have a pretty decent life at school without him. After three years of staying at her new home, Chihiro had become the center of attention. She was, by far, the most popular girl in her school and town. Chihiro had things that girls could only dream about. She had the looks, the academics, the wealth, the friends, the attention, and so much more. So, why was she so troubled all this while? She had in mere terms, a perfect life… a life that girls her age would die to have. 

And being the most popular and athletic girl in school, Chihiro had unlimited amounts of friends to go around. In the whole school, she was probably the most influential of the popular clique. Chihiro had been elected as the president of the school council… three years in a row. She was also the star player of the female soccer and track and field teams, and the all-powerful leader of the irresistible cheerleading squad. She was the girl that other not-so-popular girls would do anything to have a friendship with; anything to be in her almighty presence. And in her classes alone, she was, by far… the prettiest and most charming girl ever.

With her addictive charms and looks, Chihiro was any guy's dream girl… and a tough cookie to impress. No longer was that plump-faced and childish girl, but instead; a fine woman… adored by any guy. She was basically, the beautiful sight that guys glued their eyes onto. She was what created colorful and not-so-innocent thoughts into the minds of any male teenager. She was what created the sultry dreams for the guys in her school; the lady that guys would do anything just to date her. She was worshipped by both genders in different ways, and was seemingly as perfect… as perfection itself.

She sighed. But still, with all of these wonderful things, there always seemed to be something important… missing. Either that or maybe she was just being a little delusional again. Chihiro was always like that before a big and fancy dance at her school. Lately, more than ever… guys had been overflowing her answering machine and her locker, with messages and letters of affection. 

She always dreaded the week before the dances. Guys would always start to swarm to her, like bees to their flowers, and ask her out to the dance. Why couldn't these people get it to their thick heads that she wasn't interested in dating them? Honestly… you'd think that the most popular girl in town was single for six whole years, that the guys might realize was what certainly the obvious. If she wanted to have a boyfriend to begin with, she could have gotten as many as a hundred boyfriends about three years ago. Besides… her heart was already reserved for a special someone… And when it was mandatory to have a date for the dance, everyone knew that she'd always have Koji as her date. Koji was the only one, other than Haku… that she was completely comfortable with all the time.

So, why did guys bother to ask her out… when they knew that Koji would already be her date? Chihiro honestly didn't see any logical reason for other guys to ask her out, nor did she know that answer to her own question. Then again, basically… about 75% of the guys at school didn't have any common sense to begin with. She sighed. That was her life… being pestered by brainless guys each day. Nice life, wasn't it?

And who was this Koji exactly? Ahh… yes, Koji was basically the most popular and charming guy in school… and the best-looking one too. Koji was the captain of the male basketball and soccer teams, and the fastest male runner in the school as well. He was basically spoiled, by all means, like Chihiro. Koji had received a good amount of attention from the students as school as well, and was respected by many for his leadership abilities. Girls would drool over him each day; by all means, he was the dream guy for any female teenager. Koji too, had lots of friends… and one of those friends was Chihiro.

Chihiro and Koji had met three years ago, when Chihiro moved to a new school to attend Grade 9. They met when they bumped into each other in the middle of the hallway. Since both of them were new students, and had most of the same classes together, they had helped each other when one was at a lost. Ever since then, Chihiro and Koji had become only best friends… or so what Chihiro thought. 

Not to Chihiro's knowledge, Koji actually had an intense crush on Chihiro for a total of three years now. Though Koji was considered as Chihiro's best friend, he sure as hell wasn't blind. He had fallen hard for her, ever since his first meeting with her. She was so damn beautiful, and perfect in every way. Who wouldn't be naturally attracted to someone as wonderful as Chihiro? Koji tried to develop his relationship with Chihiro a little more, as time went by, by asking her out to simple things… like for ice cream or for a simple walk during the night. Of course, Chihiro was as innocent, yet, attractive… as girls come. She never realized the fact that Koji had secretly loved her more than just a best friend. But, Koji never bothered to really push Chihiro into a more intimate relationship with him, like dating… until she was prepared. He would never push Chihiro into a relationship that she wasn't prepared for… she had deserved so much more than being forced into something that she wasn't comfortable with.

She sighed. Chihiro's life was as tough as it got… and she knew that thinking about negative things wasn't going to make it any better. She should be happy with what she had… right? After all, she didn't have to worry about money or friends for that matter. And yet… somehow, she always found herself questioning herself and the way of life that she chose. 

She sometimes wondered how her life would have been… if she had stayed in the Spirit World with Haku. Chihiro kept looking back at that day; the day that she had departed from the Spirit World… and her Haku. Would life have been better if she had stayed with Haku? Would he have brought the happiness that Chihiro needed in her life? Was he worth enough… to sacrifice her entire life that she had in the human world? 

A ragged and discontent breath escaped her mouth, followed by a series of faint curses. Oh, why didn't she just stay in the Spirit World? She mentally cursed herself, and sometimes regretted her decision… the more she thought of him. 

Soon, a striking realization hit her. If she had stayed in the Spirit World with Haku… what would have happened to her parents? After all, her parents were waiting for her in the human side of the river… what would have happened if she never came back to them? She realized how selfish she was becoming. It wouldn't have been fair to her parents if she had ended up abandoning them without even telling them why. Just the fact of abandoning them… for a guy she had only met a day or two ago, wasn't even just. Even though her parents sometimes didn't show it… she knew that they had loved her deeply. Even if she had loved Haku, Chihiro knew that there would be no possible way that she could abandon her own parents. Her parents had taken care of her for her entire life… and leaving them to worry wasn't what they deserved. 

But, even if she wanted to return to the Spirit World now… she couldn't. Chihiro had spent days trying to find that tunnel that led back to the Spirit World. Those long days became weeks… those weeks became months, and those months became years… until she finally gave up. It was no use, as far as she was concerned. She tried every possible thing that she could think of, to try to get back to the Spirit World. She visited that forest; the same forest where her dad had driven into… which led to the discovery of that tunnel. Every time she visited that forest… she couldn't see any indication that there was even any tunnel before. It was like as though the tunnel didn't exist to begin with, like as if it just disappeared out of existence. 

Chihiro combed her silky, brown hair and quickly wore her school uniform. She didn't have any more time to be thinking about this. She was going to be late for school for the second time that week… if she didn't stop drifting away in her thoughts once again. Time to face with the true problems of reality; she couldn't get back to the Spirit World and she couldn't have that magical life she had back there. This was the life she chose, and no one else made that decision for her. It was time to face her reality and move on with life; it was time to enjoy the life she had to its fullest. 

Meanwhile, not to Chihiro's knowledge, a young man was also getting ready to go the same school she was attending. Little did she know that this young man was the lover that she had been waiting for all of those years… it was her Haku.


	11. Surprising News

**Undying Love – Surprising News**

**Author's Note: **Chapter 11 is up! ^^ I'd love it if you could review my chapters. *grins* I'm trying to get at LEAST 50 reviews and MORE, if possible! *loves reading your reviews and suggestions* Make sure to include anything that you'd think could be of improvement, or any suggestions on improving the story plot. I'm introducing a new character in the story as well… another one of Chihiro's best friends! ^^ This time, the new character is a female! *grins and cheers* Read and review! =D BTW… I'm REALLY sorry that this chapter is short, but I wanted to add Chihiro and Haku's reunion on a separate chapter… since it is a REALLY important part in the story. Therefore, I thought that the reunion itself… should have its own chapter. XD

Chihiro literally ran like the speeding wind, after she had eaten her breakfast… finding that she had successfully reached her high school on time. Not that she was all that eager of attending school, but she couldn't afford to be late… for a second time that week. Chihiro knew the disappointing consequences if she was late… for one, she would be embarrassed in front of her class… again. Second of all, she would have to serve a 30-minute detention after school, which would ruin her entire schedule for the day. Even though she didn't like school all that much, there was always one thing that she loved about school; her friends.

"Hey, Chihiro! My, my, my… you actually made it on time today! Should I mark this day as one of your better accomplishments?" teased a young, female voice from behind Chihiro.

"I swear… you get nicer every single day, Sakari. I'm guessing that you didn't attack any innocent children today… right?" asked Chihiro, as she turned to face Sakari, the young and lively female that was about Chihiro's age.

Sakari was basically Chihiro's best female friend for a total of two years now. Ever since Sakari had moved to Chihiro's school, they'd had naturally became the best of friends. Sakari, too, was one of the more popular people in the school. Sakari was Chihiro's trustworthy friend, and Chihiro and Sakari would often share secrets and gossip with each other. There were just some things that you couldn't share with any guy, even if that person was your best friend… such as Koji. Sakari, with her teasing personality, often was the liveliest in the popular clique… and one of the most supportive and understanding. And ever since Sakari and Chihiro had become the best of friends, Sakari vowed to stop at nothing… to get Chihiro to have her own boyfriend.

"Of course… I didn't attack any innocent children! Nah… I was too hooked up by the fact that I wanted to attack the new cutie that all of the girls have been talking about…" Sakari exclaimed, an evil grin spreading across her face.

"A new cutie? You mean that there's a new male student in the school?" groaned Chihiro, in pure disappointment.

"Yep… and my god, I hear he was the cutest ever! From what I heard, he's really athletic and intelligent as well. And they say that he's really polite and charming too… and not only that, I heard that he's going to be in our second period class!" said Sakari, sighing right afterwards.

"I didn't know that the school still accepts students this late in the year…"

"Oh hell yeah, I'm glad they accept students like him… even though it is pretty late in the year. I can't wait until second period class! Geez… after all, we need some more attractive guys in our school. They say that this new student is nearly as attractive as Koji too!"

"Have you even seen this 'cutie' for yourself, yet?" 

"Uhhh… well…"

"I'll take that as a negative…"

"Oh, Chihiro! My sources of information are pretty accurate, thanks. And honestly, do you have to be so negative when an attractive male comes?"

"No… I wouldn't be. But, unfortunately, a certain female friend tries at anything to match me with another guy…"

"That's so sad to hear. Who is this certain female friend that you are talking about?"

"Her name is Sakari. Hear of her, before?"

"Not that I know of…"

"Pfft. Whatever you say. I swear… sometimes, you are so evil, girl…"

"I'll take that as a compliment. Besides, I have this evilness running through my veins… best not to waste it!"

"You really scare me, sometimes, Sakari…"

"Aww… thanks. I feel so loved. What do you say about heading to class now?" asked Sakari. 

"Sounds good… after all, I don't want to be late again…" replied Chihiro.

Chihiro and Sakari happily made their way to their first period class. Chihiro was dreading the time that she would have to go to her second period class. She was sure that whoever this new student was… wasn't equal to all of the overreacting commotion that the girls happen to display. After all, the girls made a commotion about every single guy that came to the school. Chances were that this new student was just another regular guy… right? 

And yet, Chihiro got a weird feeling when Sakari started to talk about this mysterious guy. For some reason, somehow… that guy seemed so similar to a special someone… but she couldn't put her finger on it. Why was she worrying about this, anyways? What were the chances that the new kid was even someone that Chihiro once knew? 

Besides, she'd soon see for herself who this mysterious guy was; second period class was only 60 minutes away. Only 60 minutes left, and this mysterious guy that had worried her would be revealed. Chances are; she was worrying for nothing. Not to Chihiro's knowledge though, this mysterious person was someone that she was definitely familiar with… a certain someone that held a very important place in her fragile heart. 


	12. An Unexpected Realization

**Undying Love – An Unexpected Realization**

**Author's Note: **Chapter 12! Wheeeeeee! After about eleven chapters, FINALLY, Chihiro and Haku will be reunited. XD Mwahaha… the story only gets so much better and exciting from here. I already have thought out most of the plot… just need to turn these ideas into words. ^^ And there is a little bit more stuff about Koji as well, in this chapter! ^^ Please don't hate me after reading this chapter… you'll see what I mean, later on. XD I'd REALLY love your suggestions/reviews on progressing the story. ^^ Read and review! =D *wants at LEAST 75 reviews as soon as possible*

It was Chihiro's first period class, as the teacher went on reviewing the Grade 11 geography unit test. Chihiro sighed. This was definitely going to be a long and tedious day. First period… and she was already dying of boredom. Chihiro did try her best to stay attentive for the teacher for about half the period, and ended giving up. As far as she was concerned, none of the students were even paying attention to the teacher… so, why should she? Besides, she had gotten a 95% on that geography test… sixty minutes of reviewing the answers of that test weren't very appealing to Chihiro. 

Instead, she was taking part and listening into the conversations that some of the girls had, which were obviously about the new student. Chihiro wanted to know more about the new student. Rarely, were the girls in her school… that excited about a new male student, unless there was something really special about him. From what Chihiro heard, he was 16 years old and was about as tall as Koji. The girls that had bumped into the new guy said that he was really attractive and charming too, which was what she had exactly heard from Sakari. It seemed like that Koji would finally have some competition. Then again, Chihiro decided that she would have to see this new student for herself… before making any final conclusions.

Finally, the bell had rung… it was time to head to her second period class. For second period, Chihiro had Grade 11 science… where the class would be continuing their work in pairs, for a special research assignment. And it was quite obvious who Chihiro's partner was… the one and only, Koji. Just like Chihiro, Koji's academics were quite good as well… which made him an equal and a wonderful partner for any type of group work. He was reliable, intelligent, contributive, and responsible… when it came to school work; a perfect working partner for Chihiro.

Chihiro reached her second period class and looked around. No new student yet. Chances are; he got lost somewhere in the large school. Every new student got lost at least once, in the school, considering the fact that her high school was enormous. Chihiro knew these facts from experience, when she got lost in her own school on the first day as well. Chihiro afterwards walked over to Koji, and sat on her regular seat to his left… which was near the window that faced the soccer field.

"Hey, Chihiro, honey! Aren't you going to give me… a big and delightful kiss on the lips?" teased Koji, as he fluttered his eyelashes with his mocking expression.

"Aww… my dear Koji… I think you deserve so much more than that..." replied Chihiro, an evil gleam in her eyes.

"Oooh… is that so? What about a lick, then?" asked Koji, giving Chihiro his most charming grin.

"No way, love. I think you I have something that is so much better than that; a slap in the head!" answered Chihiro, slapping his head once… really hard. 

"Ouch! That was definitely… uncalled for! Is this any way to treat the great Koji?" asked Chihiro's best friend, as he rubbed his head in pain.

"Yup. You deserve every single pain that you felt… which came along with that slap!" replied Chihiro, sticking out her tongue. 

"You are so mean, Chihiro… It makes me wonder, sometimes, why I love you…" said Koji, giving her an innocent face. Not to Chihiro's knowledge… Koji had REALLY meant every single one of those words. He hoped that perhaps, today… he could ask Chihiro out to the spring dance that the school was going to have, which was a week from now. 

"Oh my… you do love me, eh? I, for one, am deeply shocked…" said Chihiro, as Koji and Chihiro teased each other a little more, not paying attention to their surroundings.

Not to Chihiro's knowledge, a young man of 16 years old in appearance… had already entered the classroom a few minutes ago. He had dark, flowing hair that reached his chin, which seemingly complimented and brought out his beautiful eyes. His eyes were of a mystical and mysterious mix, which were between the colors of emerald green and forest green. His eyes… so beautiful and gentle; it was clear that he was certainly someone of understanding and compassion. He was very well-built for his age, naturally attractive and athletic. This young man was no other than… her Haku.

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Haku looked about his busy surroundings, and heard a few girls giggle… as he passed by them. That giggling of theirs would be something that he would have to surely get used to. There he was, standing in front of the classroom… where he had heard that Chihiro would be in his second period, Grade 11 science class. Oh, how he had been waiting so eagerly to see her… for the last six years. Now, all that was needed was to find her in the crowded and noisy classroom.

Haku glanced excitedly around the classroom, most of the students, oblivious to his arrival… as they were talking to their friends. He spent a few more minutes searching the classroom, with no success. Then, his eyes wandered to the southwest side of the classroom. He took a sharp intake in breath… there before his eyes was… his Chihiro. 

Right then, Haku wanted to melt right down on the floor. Haku wouldn't mind at this point to change his hobby to staring at Chihiro all day. She was just… mesmerizing. She had sure changed in the last six years. Haku had always dreamed of how his Chihiro might have looked like, after all of those years. Never in his dreams, did he dream of her looking like that. Oh no… this was so much better. 

Her long, silky brown hair poured down the sides of her soft and lively face, like a gentle waterfall. At this point, Haku couldn't resist the temptation… to run his long fingers through that silky, light brown hair. His eyes moved down to her eyes… and they were naturally beautiful… a lively, chocolate brown. His eyes widen, when he spotted her pink lips… perfect, smooth, and soft. A thought came to him… as he wondered that work of art would feel on his own. Very male thoughts were surely taking a good chunk of his mind. His eyes made its way to her mid-body, which seemed… well, feminine in every way. She was getting more appealing by the second… that was for sure. His eyes moved their way down to the end of her short, blue skirt… and her long and slender legs, which were perfectly smoothed and tanned. He softly groaned in pleasure, as more not-so-innocent thoughts took a permanent residence in his mind. Oh yes… at this point, Haku's mind was absolutely polluted of… ahem… colorful thoughts of Chihiro.

Haku stared at her for a few more minutes… but this time, it was for a different reason. Haku had watched Chihiro; she was happily giggling and blushing over something that someone had said to her. His eyes wandered to the right of her, as he stared at this someone. Beside her was an attractive young man like himself… comfortable, and clearly enjoying Chihiro's presence. He was too late… he had already been replaced.

**Another Author's Note: **At first, I decided NOT to do this conflict… because I saw some of the previous reviews. But, I already wrote at LEAST three other chapters, ahead of time. If I changed it now… err… yeah, the long hours I spent on it will go to waste. =( *frown* And to Irusta, I did read and consider your review… BTW. I know you'll probably hate me for doing this conflict… but I already wrote this chapter before the review. And yes, as you have expected… the story will go this way… about Chihiro apologizing and all, and Haku being heartbroken. XD But, just to tell you know… Irusta, I will NOT end the story like this. It is far from over… this isn't even the main conflict. ^^ There will be some major conflicts when they return to the Spirit World as well… which will be more of a fantasy-based conflict, rather than an emotional-based one. If you don't like this conflict, just bear with me here. I promise that the apologizing thing… will NOT be the end. As you have read from my story summary, someone is plotting against them… and it will greatly endanger the Spirit World. That's all I'm going to give away about the later plot! =P I'll try and update the story as soon as possible! ^^****


	13. Experiencing Heartbreak

**Undying Love – Experiencing Heartbreak**

**Author's Note: **LOLz… please don't hate me for breaking Haku's heart in the last chapter. XD You'll need to get used to it, since the chapter name… pretty much speaks for itself. I'm evil, aren't I? ^^ As you have probably guessed, Haku's fragile heart will be broken and chipped a little more. =P Okayyy… my bad. It's not JUST a 'little' more… it's a LOT more! Pfft. I don't let people off that easily. XD You didn't think that Haku and Chihiro could just live happily ever after… just like that? Hell no, that would be TOO easy. Besides, I needed some good, emotional conflicts in the story… and this is one of them. Have fun. XD *made this chapter… EXTRA long* And make sure to read and review again! ^_____^ Reviews equal more chapters! LOLz. I REALLY want to know what you think about this particular chapter and its emotional conflict. XD BTW… sorry for NOT updating in so long. *was working on her LiveJournal on glowing_dreamz* 

Haku just stared at her… and the young man she was with, through his glassy, hurt eyes. He stared at her some more, watching her laugh… as her face lit up with happiness. He looked over the young man beside her, content and completely satisfied with Chihiro. Oh… he knew that look all too well; it was the same look he had when… he was in love. 

_'No, I must be mistaken. I'm… I'm sure that he isn't her new lover. She loves me… our pure love must have lasted through these years… it must have! That guy is just a friend… just a friend… She loves me… and no one else. I know my Chihiro wouldn't have replaced me with another guy…' _Haku thought to himself, trying to convince himself… that the sight before him wasn't one of love, but of friendship. It must have been; it had to be. He spent six years of obsession and worry over Chihiro… surely, she wouldn't have forgotten about him. Surely, she would have loved him throughout the years… like how he loved her. He needed her, he craved her… she was all he had left in his life, the only thing worth living for. He wouldn't accept anything else… Haku needed her, and that love of hers. 

Just then, to make matters worse, the young man to her right… placed a gentle kiss on her cheeks, which caused Chihiro to blush. Haku waited for her reaction, praying that she hadn't enjoyed that kiss, praying that she wasn't in love with another man… praying that she still loved him. And what did she do? She grazed her hand over that kissed cheek, and continued to talk to the young man… a little nervous, but with still… a good sense of comfort and understanding. 

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Meanwhile, Chihiro was still blushing from Koji's kiss. She rarely blushed… so why was she blushing now? What did this mean? What made that moment special from the rest? Surprisingly, the kiss felt warm… soothing… lovingly… something that she never felt before. A wave of unusual warmth and… pleasure spread all over her body like a plague. 

Pleasure? Just as much as she didn't want to admit it… she had enjoyed that kiss. Somehow, it had filled some of that empty hole in her fragile heart… and gave her more pleasure than anything she felt in her life. What was this awkward feeling?

It took some time for the reality of the kiss to register in her mind; Koji just kissed her. Her best friend had just kissed her. Her best friend for three whole years had just kissed her on the cheek, making it officially… her first kiss. Could this mean that there was something more than friendship between them? 

Koji never kissed any girl without reason. Koji wasn't the type to kiss or date a girl, and dump her the next day. Koji needed to care about a girl dearly, before even starting a slight move on a more intimate relationship. Knowing Koji for all of those years, Koji was true to his feelings, and he wouldn't make a move unless… he loved that girl. 

_'Could it be? Could it be true? Could all of those rumors actually be true? Koji… love confession… blushing… kiss… it finally makes perfect sense! Oh. My. God. He loved me all this time…' _Chihiro thought to herself, realizing the always obvious.

She immediately cursed herself for being so blind all this time. How did she never realize those feelings that Koji had for her… all of these years? Her other friends always teased her, claiming that Koji had an enormous crush on her. She always thought that it was just a joke, just something to tease her and make her perfectly miserable during those times. It was never a joke to begin with… the rumors… everything… it was all true. He really did love Chihiro more than a friend.

It was no wonder Koji always tried to spend more time with her after school. It was no wonder he was always nosy about her dating and kissing history. It was no wonder he was always teasing her in romantic terms, lightly flirting with her. It was no wonder that she was the only one that Koji asked out to every single prom or dance. It was no wonder he blushed slightly when she complimented him. It was no wonder he was always trying to find some way for both of them to be alone… and now, she knew why. 

Those things were never a coincidence. Koji was never oblivious to her, and her attractiveness, as she first assumed. Koji always had an intense crush on her. She assumed that those little romantic-related things that he did for Chihiro were just out of friendship. It was never friendship to begin with! He only acted like a best friend for the moment… because that was the only position for Koji, which Chihiro was actually comfortable with. He had only bothered not making a move on her all of these years because he didn't want to ruin their precious friendship… or push her into something that she wasn't prepared for. 

But, now that Koji had openly admitted his feelings for her… did she feel the same? Did she love Koji? After all, Koji was the only guy in the school who she was perfectly comfortable with 24/7. He was the only one who had been her date for the proms, the guy she hanged out with the most, and the guy she told some of her most inner secrets to. Was that awkward feeling she felt before… love? Was it love that she felt? 

Maybe she did love Koji all of this time. Maybe that was the reason she had spent most of her time with him. Maybe that was why she wasn't even slightly bothered when Koji flirted with her. Maybe that was why she wasn't all that uncomfortable when Koji was physically and emotionally close with her. Was this what love felt like?

She tried to recall that kiss again, perfectly in her mind. When his gentle lips grazed her cheek, she felt like she was in paradise. It was the most enjoyable experience ever… and yet, it was done out of true feelings, true feelings of her best friend. He wasn't one of those other guys that tried to take advantage of her… there was a lot more to that kiss; more mixed feelings and signals of… love. 

And for some reason… even though that she had felt pleasure, warmth, and excitement from his kiss… she could feel a little something missing. Sure, he had healed her of those wounds that had buried deep within her heart, but… the kiss still seemed incomplete, confusing her even more. She sighed to herself. She was confusing herself to the point of no return… thinking too much didn't do her any good. Then again, maybe she was supposed to be confused… maybe this was what love was supposed to feel like. 

_Is love supposed to feel this way? Do I love you, Koji?_

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Meanwhile, a blazing pain pierced Haku's fragile heart; it was a pain he had never felt before. It was more intense and painful than anything he ever felt in his life; worse than any physical or other type of pain he ever felt before. It was the pain of a broken heart; cracking into a million pieces. It was the pain… when a sharp dagger had stabbed his heart, after realizing that he was replaced. It was the pain he felt… when reality hit him hard. She replaced him with another guy… who was seemingly more expressive and charming. She didn't have enough faith in him… to wait for him to return. She didn't believe in him; she didn't love him anymore. Her love was given to another guy; there was no space in her heart or dreams… to include him anymore. She didn't need him; he was just another heartbroken and seemingly lost lover. 

Haku always considered those love-stricken men that were always, hopelessly dependant on their lovers were weak. He could never understand why some men claimed that they couldn't live or bear the pain of heartbreak; how they couldn't live without the love of their girl. He couldn't understand why some men would give up anything in the world to experience that love… once again. He couldn't understand how some of the strongest men… could be so torn down, after losing every bit of love they shared with a woman. He couldn't understand it before… but now, he knew how they felt; for he felt… the same. 

Haku would do anything for Chihiro at this point… to hear those three magical words from her mouth, to make sure that she would love him once again. He'd even beg down to his knees for his entire life… if it meant that she would take him as her lover again. Her love was his oxygen and water supply, Haku needed it to live; he couldn't bear a life without her love. 

At this point, Haku was going to kneel on the ground and cry his heart out… right there, in front of all of the other students. He could feel a little bit of wetness, forming on the sides of his eyes… what else was he to do? His lover… his Chihiro, was with another man… while he had spent six years, working off his contract… so he could go see her. Day in, and day out… she had haunted all of his dreams and his thoughts. And now… she had replaced him; it wasn't very surprising that he would just cry right there. 

No… he wouldn't cry right there. Even though his heart bore much pain at the moment… he would not cry in front of these people. He would not show his weakness… his defeat. He was Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, the Kohaku River spirit. He would not cry in front of others… he wouldn't degrade himself to the extent… that he would break down with others in his presence. It was his pain and his pain alone… and as far as he was concerned, he wouldn't shame himself over something as silly as… love.

And yet… if love was so silly in the first place, why was he so hurt without Chihiro's love? Love was something that Haku couldn't explain. It was there… love was one of the things could make any person feel like… his/her world was perfect. And yet, love was a weakness; it was something that could breakdown a person to an extent… an extent of internal pain and suffering. 

A realization came to his pained mind. Maybe… all of this time, Chihiro didn't love him to begin with. All of these years, he had just assumed that Chihiro loved him… and shared the same feelings that he felt. Maybe… all of this time, his assumptions were wrong to begin with. Never once… did Chihiro tell him that he loved him, and they never even shared something as romantic or loving as a kiss before. He just assumed that Chihiro loved him… because it was the pure love that they had shared, which broke Zeniiba's spell. 

But… maybe he misunderstood this "pure love". Maybe… the pure love that broke the spell was nothing more than… the pure love for a friend. Maybe… he wasn't destined to be Chihiro's lover, but just a good friend… as he recalled from a memory long ago, when Chihiro had called him that. His hopes and dreams of Chihiro were just based on his assumptions, or things that he wanted to believed. Never once, was this love he had been dependant on so much was actually proven. Maybe… there wasn't that kind of more intimate love between him and Chihiro to begin with.

Or maybe… he wasn't appealing or good enough for Chihiro all this time. Haku was nothing more than a mere river spirit, and currently… an apprentice for a bathhouse. What did he have that Chihiro would love? He wasn't all that important in the Spirit World… and he wasn't as powerful or as wealthy as some of the other spirits. Sure… he had pretty good looks, and he was sure athletic… but that wasn't really all that special. Even Raisuke was just as attractive as him… and it seemed like that the young man beside Chihiro shared the same traits. The more he thought about it… he realized the stupidity of his own idea. What ever made him think that he could ever have a chance at love with Chihiro?

She was the most beautiful being in the world and the most popular girl in her town… and who was he? He was nothing more than one of the thousands of river spirits in the Spirit World. He wasn't even comparable to someone like Chihiro… and it sure as hell seemed like that he didn't deserve her love. After all, he made Chihiro wait for him for six whole years. It wasn't fair to her that she had to wait and suffer all of this time… and who knows how her experience at the Spirit World affected her… mentally and emotionally. 

He thought some more… and realized even more… how stupid and flawed his idea of love was all of this time. Who ever heard of a river spirit falling in love with a human? In all of the history in the Spirit World, never once… did a spirit and a non-spirit being fall in love. Just the idea was ridiculous… then again, as they always said… love is blind. And right now… in his current situation, it seemed like that his love had not only made him blind… but brain-dead over the years. 

He stared at Chihiro some more… as the pain realizations of his torn love sank in. Chihiro was no longer his… and Chihiro loved another man. I mean… if Chihiro did love him to begin with… you'd think that she would have at least notice his presence after five minutes. Instead… she was cheerfully talking with that young man beside her, not even realizing that he had been staring at her for the last couple of minutes. 

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

All of a sudden… that all changed; Chihiro turned her head to the front of the class… when Koji told her that the new student was staring strangely at them for the last couple of minutes. She gasped… and her eyes widen in fear and surprise. The new student was none other than… Haku. 

A disturbing thought entered her mind. Haku had been staring at her and Koji for the last few minutes… does that mean he saw Koji kiss her? She moved her worried eyes… and met his painful and empty ones. His sadden eyes and pained expression told her, the answer to her own question. He did see Koji kiss her… which could only mean one thing; she had already broken Haku's heart. 

_Oh god, Haku… I didn't mean to hurt you…_


	14. Regrets and Uncertainties

**Undying Love – Regrets and Uncertainties**

**Author's Note:** Chapter 14! ^______^ Wheeeeeee! Some more Haku and Chihiro stuff… a LOT of their inner thoughts and all, will be in this chapter. ^^ Some of Koji's inner thoughts will be here as well! =P As usual… please read and review my chapter! ^^ *hugglez everyone* Thanks! ^__^

Chihiro stared guiltily at Haku… for what seemed like hours. If it weren't for the unfortunate circumstances, she would have happily run up to him and locked him into a big bear hug. Her mind was cursing herself for her stupidity. Out of all of the days that Koji had to tell Chihiro, his true feelings about her… Haku had to be here. 

What made it worse was that Haku clearly saw Koji and her… sharing a very intimate and loving experience, a kiss. It wasn't that the kiss was all that grand or intimate; after all, she wasn't the one who started off the kiss. Koji was the one who kissed her, not the other way around. The kiss wasn't even all that intense, considering the fact that it was only a kiss on the cheek. It was a kiss, and it was one of the things that Haku and her never shared together. One thing was for sure… no matter how small that kiss was, she had definitely tore down any walls of hope he had left. 

On the other hand, Koji was wondering why Chihiro was acting weirdly. Ever since he had pointed out that new student, she acted as though she knew him. Maybe she did… he didn't know for sure. But, he didn't like where this was going. Chihiro was giving a special glance at this new kid, a glance of great worry. And knowing Chihiro, it took a lot for her to be worried about someone. 

Damn that kid and his presence. He ruined everything. He had just told Chihiro how he truly felt about her, and they were coming to an understanding… then that guy had to interrupt it all. It was just his luck too, considering the fact that he had also asked her to the spring dance. It wasn't that she rejected him or anything; in fact, she agreed that she'd be his date. Still… it now looked like that this new student would be some extra and unwanted competition for him, complicating his romantic efforts with Chihiro. This wasn't good at all. One thing was for sure… he wasn't going down without a fight; he'd teach the new kid that he wasn't going to let anyone jeopardize his relationship with Chihiro, especially not some new student too. 

"Hey Chihiro… are you okay? You seemed zoned out…" Koji exclaimed, glaring disappointedly at the new student.

"I'm fine, Koji. I… I just remembered something that had me worried for a second…" Chihiro replied, trying to hide her new worries from Koji. Knowing Koji, he would consider Haku a considerable threat, if he ever knew about her past relationship with Haku. And at this moment, he didn't need some male rivalry to add to her never-ending list of problems.

"Does it have anything to do with the new student? If he is making you uncomfortable in any way, I'm sure can fix the problem right now…"

"NOOO! Uhh… I mean… no thanks, I'm sure it's nothing…"

"No?" Koji looked at her oddly. This was very unlike Chihiro… and it just proved his assumptions. That new student was someone special to Chihiro, and one thing was for sure… he was going to complicate things between him and Chihiro.

"Don't worry about it, Ko--" Chihiro was interrupted by the teacher's presence, as she entered the classroom. Immediately… all of the students returned to their original seats and sat quietly, leaving Haku to stand alone, at the front of the class.

"Good morning class. Before we start class today, I would like you to welcome Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi to our school. Now, he is a new student here… and you all know how it feels like to be a new student. So please, make Kohaku feel at home…" exclaimed the teacher, as she turned her head towards Haku.

"It's just Haku. Umm… that's what the students called me in my old school…" replied Haku, his depressing gaze still directed at Chihiro.

"Okay, Haku. Now… I'll find you a seat. Hmm… let me see… ah yes! There is an empty seat behind Chihiro. That will be your regular seat from now on…" 

Chihiro gulped. Haku was going to sit behind her? Dear god… that was going to complicate things even more. If Haku and Koji got too close, all hell would break loose. She sighed softly. Now, she would have to deal with the rivalry between the two guys… and she would have to find a way to apologize to Haku. That was just great; another thing to add to her daily list of worries. Life was sometimes so unfair… especially to her.

Haku made his way to his seat, as the girls giggled at him… admiring Haku's attractive features. He briefly stopped in front of Chihiro and her boyfriend, trying to hide his disappointment and heartbreak. His glassy eyes met with Chihiro's disappointed ones, which made his heart sink even more. 

He could read her like an open book. Her eyes reflected only fear and worry; not one indication that she was even happy with his presence. Absolutely perfect… he worked himself off for the last six years, returning to a person wasn't even happy with his presence. 

"Chihiro…" Haku whispered sadly, his voice fading away… as he broke his eye contact with Chihiro. He couldn't stand to look at those disappointed eyes of hers, it just reassured the fact that she didn't want him around.

"Haku…" whispered Chihiro, softly. She sighed to herself. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought, that was for sure… and it was only the beginning.

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

After her morning classes, Chihiro looked everywhere for Haku… with no success whatsoever. She expected this. Chances are; he had been avoiding her all day. She sighed. How could she apologize to him if she couldn't even find him to begin with? However, it was lunchtime for the moment, though… it gave Chihiro enough time to probably track him down. 

Instead of eating her lunch with her friends, she wandered aimlessly around the school… looking for Haku. Now… if she was Haku, where would she go? Hell, she didn't know… it wasn't like she was psychic or something. She spent ten minutes… trying to look for him around the school property. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side today… and she miserably failed, trying to find him. She decided to give up her current technique… she wouldn't find him at this rate; she needed to ask for help. 

Chihiro spent ten more minutes asking students if they saw Haku… finally coming to an unexpected success. One of the girls said that they saw the new student… under the cherry blossom tree, in the backyard of the school. She felt even guiltier at this point, since it was raining outside… she definitely saddened Haku a lot more than she expected.

Chihiro stared sadly at Haku, from the school; it was a depressing sight to see. He was in isolation, under the cherry blossom tree… and in the pouring and freezing rain. He looked pale, and clearly depressed… as he stared down at the floor, eating his damp lunch. He looked at though every bit of happiness and hope in him had evaporated. He looked so… empty and lifeless; she clearly knew that she was the cause of it all, too… which made her feel even worse, if it was possible. But… that wasn't the thing that really broke her heart. Haku was… he was… crying. She had reduced him to his endless tears and his already broken heart. 

She sighed sadly… cursing herself for hurting him so much. One thing was clear though, she was going to apologize to Haku, and get that stupid and hurtful misunderstanding cleared up between them. She'd be damned if her relationship with Haku came to a sudden end… just because she didn't clear this misunderstanding to begin with. After she would apologize, she prayed that perhaps… Haku would believe in her word, and that they could continue their relationship… where they last left off. Hopefully, the burned bridges between them could be repaired. 

What about Koji, though? She sighed again. Koji certainly wouldn't be happy… once he found out about the past relationship that she shared with Haku. He'd be even more frustrated, if Haku got into a more intimate relationship with her… which was what Koji was trying to do too. He'd definitely get either jealous or angered… which wasn't a good thing, especially since he was Koji. She had seen how Koji dealt with some of the flirting or disturbing guys pestering her in the past… it wasn't a pretty sight. Most were lucky if they didn't end up in the hospital; Koji was the overprotective and easily offended-type of guy. Haku had just come after six years of separation; she didn't want Koji to send Haku to the hospital on his first day in the human world. 

Two guys wanting her… and one Chihiro; this was very bad. She could only dedicate herself to one of them, and one thing was for sure… one of them would be hurt at the end. It was ironic… how loving someone could hurt another person dearly. In this case… one of her two best friends would be deeply discontent by the time this was over. Her problems were just beginning… that's for sure.

Chihiro sighed. It was now or never. She took a deep breath; she knew that apologizing to Haku wouldn't be easy. But, it wasn't like she had a choice. If she avoided the situation long enough, it could worsen, that was for sure. Besides, Haku at least deserved an explanation and an apology from her. Chihiro brought her umbrella, and made her way across the field, and to… Haku, hoping that he would forgive her. 

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Meanwhile, Haku was sitting on the grassy fields of the abandoned and lonely school yard. Though he was under the large cherry blossom tree, it didn't do him any good. Those pretty, pink flowers decorating the tree weren't enough to shield him from most of the freezing rain, which was pouring harder and quicker than ever. He couldn't give a damn at this point, whether or not it was raining. His mind was a "little" too occupied at the moment to be worrying about something as meaningless as the rain. 

He knew that if he stayed too long in the rain, he'd get completely soaked and extremely sick. Mission one accomplished; he already was completely soaked from head to toe, drenching his new school uniform. All was left was to get himself sick; it wasn't a hard thing to do, as far as he was concerned. Probably, by the time lunch break was over, he'd be a lot more than just sick. Besides… it wasn't like anyone would care about him, even if he was sick… right? 

He sighed. Why did it seem like that everything going through his mind had to remind him of… Chihiro? Once again, the heartbreaking situation freshly played in his mind, perfectly resembling the first time. Chihiro giggling and chatting away… Chihiro's boyfriend kissing Chihiro on the cheek… Chihiro blushing… Chihiro's look of satisfaction and acceptance for her boyfriend… and Chihiro reflecting those eyes of despair and disappointment. 

Every one of those dreadful events pierced his heart like ever-sharp daggers, exterminating any hope or happiness he had within himself. He promised himself, that he wouldn't cry in front of his new classmates. So… what did he do instead? He held his tears and his pain throughout the morning… and decided to pour out the remains of his broken heart, on the damp grass when no one was looking. Yes… Haku, the one who used to be seemingly heartless years ago, was crying. And more shockingly, he was crying because of something called… love. 

Haku was certainly shaming himself to the point of no return. He knew that this was probably the most pathetic display ever attempted, and successfully completed, by a river spirit… such as himself. Not even the river spirits back in the Spirit World shed a tear, when they were on the brink of their destruction and death during their violent battles. If the gods ever saw him at this point, he'd definitely be a disgrace to all spirits. He wasn't even physically injured, and he was crying like there was no tomorrow. 

Haku didn't care what the others thought though. The other spirits would never understand the love he had for the human girl, Chihiro. They'd never see the great and special things that made her stand out from the crowd, the things that made him love her. They probably couldn't even understand why he would love a human to begin with. After all, humans had a very limited lifespan, and no magical powers whatsoever, by all means… something that rarely was ideal for a spirit to love. And yet, Haku fell in love with Chihiro at first sight… or to be exact, second sight. All of the spirits would never understand how he felt, not even Rin, Kamajii, or Zeniiba… even if he gave them an eternity. 

Haku started nibbling slowly on his damp lunch, losing his appetite after a couple of minutes. What would he do now? He worked so hard all of these years to see her, and now… it seemed like that his presence wasn't even wanted to begin with. Never did he think that the situation could get any worse than this; his reality currently resembled a nightmare, except… much worse… a million times worse. 

Haku thought that all of these years… Chihiro would have at least considered him as her lover, or… at least a friend. But… to his misfortune, it seemed like Chihiro didn't consider him to be any of the following; in fact, it seemed like she didn't give a damn about him. He could clearly remember the disgust in her eyes when she spotted him… or whatever it was. Even if it wasn't disgust gleaming through her eyes, there were definitely clear signs of disappointment and sadness; that was enough to make him feel lower than a speck of dust. 

Haku thought of her dearly every single day that went by, without her wonderful presence. Every one of his thoughts, in one way or another, had to be related to Chihiro. It disappointed Haku to know that perhaps, there was a huge possibility that she never even thought about him. Maybe all of this time… he was nothing more than an annoyance to her, and something that should have been left and forgotten in the far past. Well… what else would have explained that disappointing and heartbreaking reaction of hers?

All of a sudden, Haku's train of thought went off the rail again. He could no longer feel the freezing rain dripping on his head, and yet, it was still raining. And the flowers on the tree certainly couldn't have shielded him from all of that rain. Haku turned his head and looked above him, to see what had stopped the rain from falling on him. There was an umbrella above his head… he checked to see who was holding that umbrella. To his amazement, the person that was holding that umbrella was no other than… Chihiro.

**Another Author's Note: **Wow… that was one LONG chapter! Four pages long on Microsoft Word! *grins* Thank you so much to ALL of the people who reviewed or added me on his/her Favorite Authors list! ^___^ It has inspired me to continue writing and continuing this fan fiction. =P I do apologize to the many readers that had to wait a LONG two weeks before my update. I am currently working on ANOTHER fan fiction as well, which is based on Card Captor Sakura! It is called _Falling in Love Again_! It is another one of those romance-type of stories. *grins* If you like this romance story so far, I suggest you read my other one too! =P *has just started the other one*


	15. Realizing the Love

**Undying Love – Realizing the Love**

**Author's Note: **OMG! OMG! OMG! *hugglez ALL of the loyal and beloved readers* I thank everyone so much for ALL of the reviews! I've FINALLY reached my goal of over 100 reviews… after so many months of writing! ^____^ *screams in happiness* And as you can see, I'm CLEARLY happy. =P LOLz. XD Thank you to everyone once again! *gives each one of you a BIG huggle* I've decided to come up with a new goal of 150 reviews! XD *is somewhat addicted to the reviews* I've also been reading many of your reviews as well, and taken into your considerations. =P What I find VERY amusing is the whole fact that so many people HATE that character that I created… they hate Koji with a strong passion. =P Is Koji REALLY that bad?! o__o Well, okay, maybe he is a pretty bad… considering the fact that he is practically sabotaging what relationship and love that Chihiro and Haku have had for each other. =P And to many people's requests, a LOT of people requested for some Chihiro/Haku romance to happen. =D As a treat, the next two chapters will STRONGLY focus on the Chihiro/Haku relationship and some more conflict stuff. =P Enjoy! ^___^ And BTW… make sure to read and review! *begs you to read and review the chapter*XD

Haku entered a state of disappointment and hopelessness, right after he spotted Chihiro. What was she doing here? Didn't he already suffer enough for today? The only thoughts that were registering in his mind, all day, were ones of heartbreak… and guess who created those thoughts to begin with. Ahh… yes, the one and only Chihiro… of course! Her presence only reminded him that he had been feeding himself lies of false love, over the last six years. It reminded him things that were best to be forgotten, and false hopes that we never destined to come to life.

Besides, it was obvious that Chihiro came here to take pity on him… nothing more. And frankly, Haku didn't want her damn pity… he wanted her love. Besides, he honestly didn't need any unwanted pity from a person who clearly didn't love him to begin with. But… knowing his chances, it was unlikely that she ever shared feelings that were even similarly related to the love he had for her. He'd be damned if he was rejected by Chihiro, herself. He couldn't bear any more heartbreak; he was as heartbroken as any abandoned lover could be. Therefore, he would set up his own verbal barriers against Chihiro… protecting him against the new, sharp daggers that were going to pierce his heart, after hearing more painful words from her.

"Haku… we… we need to talk…" nervously exclaimed Chihiro, as she gently sat in front of him on the damp grass. The pouring rain was still heavily dripping down upon the troubled couple, which was clearly not helping the situation. Chihiro was already as nervous as she could be; apologizing to Haku wasn't the main thing she was worrying about… but whether or not, Haku would accept her apology and forgive her for the immense pain she caused within his torn heart. 

"Talk? What is there to talk about?" coldly replied Haku, trying to hide any sort of emotions whatsoever, making sure that he wasn't showing any of his weaknesses in front of Chihiro. He was a river spirit of the Spirit World; he would make sure that he wouldn't be defeated by the likes of heartbreak… caused by a mere humanoid girl. And yet… if she was just a 'mere' girl, why was he still so heartbroken and lost from her nonexistent love? Why was he feeling this way; why was he feeling so weak and depressed, like there was no other reason to live his currently harsh life? Love was so confusing… he didn't know what to think anymore; other than the fact that Chihiro was clearly taken by that boyfriend of hers. 

On the other hand, Chihiro had immediately shivered from his cold and heartless response; this was unlike the kind and gentle river spirit she once knew. Why was he giving her the cold shoulder all of a sudden? What the hell was his problem? Here she was, trying to apologize to him, and he rudely interrupted her! It wasn't her fault that Koji had kissed her, it wasn't like she had kissed him first. Koji was her best friend, and she couldn't just harshly reject him; she had to deeply consider his feelings too! Besides, Haku wasn't the only one that was clearly hurting in the inside; she was too! His heartbreak was no excuse to act like such a jerk to her; after all, she was just as hurt as he was! One thing was for sure, her patience was wearing thin; she wasn't going to take his verbal abuse for long.

"Haku… I… I know that you are really hurt and angry about what you saw earlier… I'm really sorry… please forgive me…" begged Chihiro, as her eyes were now begging for forgiveness and some understanding from her Haku. 

"You know, there is no need to be sorry for something that you happened to enjoy…" angrily mocked Haku, still oblivious to Chihiro's attempts at apologizing.

"Haku… please let me explain. About that kiss…" Chihiro said, as she was immediately interrupted by the seemingly inconsiderate Haku… for the third time in a row. Her patience was now treading on very thin ice, any more of that self-centered attitude of his… and she would certainly explode of anger. 

"There is nothing to explain. I saw it with my own eyes. I'm sure you know by now, that I'm not blind. If I recall… your boyfriend gave you a very lovely and enjoyable kiss…"

"Haku… I swear that I didn't mean to hurt you. I wouldn't have allowed him to kiss me if I knew you were there…"

"Uh huh. So… if I wasn't there, you would have still allowed him to kiss you?"

"Haku, you are taking everything I am saying out of context! Look… as I said before, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry. I'm begging for your forgiveness here. Please believe me when I say that, that kiss was just one of friendship… nothing more…"

"Friendship? You expect me to believe that it was just a kiss shared by 'friends'? We were friends too, and we never shared anything that was even as closely intimate as that. A kiss like that is only shared by… lovers. In this case, it would be you and your boyfriend…"

"Koji is not my boyfriend, okay?! He's just a good friend… that's all…"

"Koji… so that's your boyfriend's name? I'm sure that you would agree that the names, Chihiro and Koji, sound perfect together… like a destined couple, don't you agree? Then again, that is expected from someone such as you… considering the fact that you are his girl …"

"Koji isn't my boyfriend. I swear, from the bottom of my heart, that he isn't…"

"So… he isn't your boyfriend, but actually only a 'good' friend. I'm sure that two good friends, sharing something as romantic as a kiss is oh, so very common around here…"

"Haku… honestly, I didn't mean to hurt you. Forgive me, please…"

"You didn't mean to hurt me, yet… you didn't have a problem when you lost every sense of faith you had in me. You also didn't have a problem with replacing so quickly, with a guy like Koji. I swear… you get more believable every time…" 

Right after Chihiro had heard another one of Haku's heartless and false accusations… she just couldn't take his obnoxious attitude anymore. She tried everything possible to apologize to him, and what did she get? She got nothing but painful and low insults; none that were of understanding or compassion. Haku didn't know a single damn thing about his accusations; who was he to judge her? All of those accusations were just low and distasteful; accusations based on nothing but hatred… none that even had a shred of proof. 

She wasn't just going to act sweetly and considerate for him anymore; she wasn't going to take anymore of that garbage that was coming out of his mouth. That insult was certainly the last straw; she was thoroughly pissed… her patience had already evaporated long ago. Her untamed anger had been released; she slapped him as hard as she could on the face… making sure that it was as painful as it could possibly be.

"How dare you insult me this way?! I'm trying to apologize and be truthful here, and this is what I get?! And you talk about all of this faith-related garbage… and what about you… hmm? You sure as hell don't seem like you have any faith to my claims. So, why on earth should I have had faith in you? You sure don't look like you had any faith in me, either…" shouted Chihiro, as she tried to calm herself down from her uncontrollable outburst, which couldn't be helped. Haku's heartless and cruel insults of his were only fueling her continually blazing anger, and she honestly didn't need him to be a total jerk at the moment. Meanwhile, Haku, who was still surprised and slightly scared by Chihiro's unexpected slap and angry verbal outbursts, was still rubbing his throbbing cheek, which was burning in pain.

"And what is your problem anyways? Just because you're hurting doesn't give you any damn reason to be such a jerk! Do you honestly think you are the only one hurting? Do you think that you were the only one in the same heartbreaking position as your own? Do you think that you were the only one who experienced those sleepless nights, waiting for the love of your life to return to you… after what, six whole years! Well, newsflash, Haku… you aren't the only one! I feel the same way… and you honestly have no right to treat me this way! I have always loved you… and so far today, you've given me nothing me but a cold shoulder! What did I do to deserve this from you? Is loving you always such a damn crime, Haku?!" angrily exclaimed Chihiro, as some hot tears of anger and heartbreak escaped her redden eyes. Though as had tried her best to be a strong girl, she just couldn't stand it anymore. What had she done to deserve such cruel treatment from Haku, the person she had loved the most?! She didn't deserve this kind of treatment for the love and care that she had tried to show for her Haku.

Meanwhile, Haku had been deep in thought again; as the obvious realization came to mind; she had loved him too. All of this time, the love of his life, the person that had given him the only reason to live, had loved him just as much too! He was too angry and dense to realize that Chihiro had never meant to hurt him on purpose… everything that she had said was true; her worried and sadden eyes and her powerful words had said it all… Chihiro loved him with all her heart. And now, he had saddened the one person that he loved… and over a stupid misunderstanding too! One thing was for sure, Chihiro was right; she didn't deserve this kind of cruel treatment from him… she deserved better; she deserved his undying love.

"Chihiro… please don't cry. It was all my fault; all of it. You were… you were right; you deserved better. You always deserved better, my darling Chihiro; you deserve the world and all of the love and care that comes with it. You deserved to be loved back. Chihiro, I… um… I… I love you too…" exclaimed Haku, as he cupped her chin and brought her teary eyes to meet his now considerate and lovingly eyes, pulling her into a delicate and affectionate kiss… as they both left behind what bitter memories and thoughts that they had of each other. One thing was for sure… this was love, a love that would last for an eternity. 

**Another Author's Note: **Wheeeeeee! The START of some romantic Chihiro/Haku action! ^____^ LOLz. =P Please do NOT hate me for ending the chapter like this! XD Okay… so this probably wasn't the best place to end the chapter, I'm sure that many of you would like that lovingly romance to go on! I do promise that this is NOT the end of this lovingly kissing scene. This kawaii romance will continue onto to the next chapter, in detail… BTW! =P I promise the next chapter will be EXTRA good! =D Aside from the continuation of that kissing scene, you should expect at LEAST two new conflicts to appear. I'm sure that you can guess one of the conflicts already… and the other conflict… let's just say that it definitely connects to the main summary of this story, and the Spirit World! Hehe… thanks for your support! *hugz* Expect the next chapter to be up as soon as possible! =D And make sure to review… if you haven't already!


	16. Mixing Romance and Jealousy

**Undying Love – Mixing Romance and Jealousy**

**Author's Note: ***gasps* I apologize a gazillion times for NOT updating in about a month. o___o *cringes* I got lazy over the summer. LOLz. Spent half of my time doing things like: chatting, catching up with old friends, going out to the mall/movies, and watching DVDs at home. =P Heh. I didn't exactly feel like typing up the continuation to this story; reminds me of writing stories for English… and currently, I want to relax quite a bit, before heading out for Grade 9 in the next coming months. XD I do promise that I'll be updating this story, from now on, about once a week. ^____^ *apologizes again* I saw like 20+ reviews for the previous chapter alone, and quite a couple of people that were complaining that I was too slow to update the story. XD I do promise you that this chapter is worth reading… it'll bring in some more Chihiro/Haku romance, and some new conflicts that will be leading the story to its main plot. *grins* Enjoy! And BTW… don't forget to review after you are finished reading. =D Can't hurt to have some more writing inspiration! XD

**Chapter Dedications: **I dedicate this chapter to the following people who have added me to his/her Favourite Authors list: RinF6, SilverStarWing, Ravengurlie149, Kirara, Millenium Spirit Of Shadows, Magik Bunny Ball, CoolCat, Sesshochan, ditterdums, helga chic, alannalivandra, and sweet-genie-16! I would also like to dedicate this chapter to ALL of my fellow readers and reviewers, who also have supported me along the way! *hugglez everyone*

Once Haku's passionate lips touched Chihiro's smooth and flawless ones, a huge serge of pleasure and love filled her entire body. It was unlike anything she had experienced before, something that was so perfect and lovingly… and yet, so hard to explain in her own words. Unlike the kiss she has shared with her best friend Koji, this kiss was one that had completely filled her heart and desires completely, leaving out no doubts that this was the right thing to do with her Haku, her only lover. Warmth spread all over her body, resisting the cold advances of the harsh and freezing rain and wind around her. 

After a couple of more minutes of interlocking lips, the two eager and passionate lovers parted from each other, gasping for breath. Just as much as Haku and Chihiro did not want their romantic liaison to stop, they did need to catch their breath. They had both thought to themselves, if humans didn't need to breathe, the endless possibilities between them. Chihiro and Haku sighed softly, imagining how their romantic experience would have continued without their unwanted, but significant parting of breath. 

Then, Haku raised his head to glance at Chihiro's mischievous eyes, glittering with a naughty agenda. Immediately, a playful grin appeared on both of their faces… who said that they had to stop their lovingly romance after a little interruption? 

Chihiro eagerly wrapped her long arms around Haku's strong neck, now making the first move of a new and lovingly kiss between them. Meanwhile, Haku wrapped his both of his arms around her slender form, pulling her desperately closer to him… as he officially closed the gap between their bodies. 

As the kiss lasted between them, both lovers let out a few small moans, as both were filling each other with an unknown pleasure of love and lust. From once was an innocent and gentle kiss soon turned one that was intensely hungry and savage between them, as Haku forcefully shoved Chihiro on the rough and stable trunk of the cherry blossom tree, continuing the long and warm kiss. 

Once Chihiro felt her stiff back slam into the trunk of the cherry blossom tree underneath them, she felt her face heat up intensely, hardly noticing the sharp pains that her fragile back was experiencing. The kiss between them was uncontrollable and lustful, filling them with more warmth and love than either of them had experienced before. Haku dug his long fingers into Chihiro's ever flowing waterfall of hair, as Chihiro placed one of her hands on his chest, trying to pull him any closer to her… if it was possible.

On the other hand, Haku was just as delighted and pleasured as Chihiro at the moment, as he took in Chihiro's heavenly scent of strawberries… making him hunger for her even more, as though she was some perfect double fudge sundae that was ready to be mercilessly devoured. As for her perfectly shaped and smooth lips, they had tasted like a delightful mix of chocolate and mint, enough to drive him to his wild thirst for love. This was definitely not himself; he was rarely one that lost control of his own actions. 

And yet… at the moment, it seemed that Haku could not control his everlasting thirst for Chihiro, as he forcefully placed more kisses on her eager lips. There was one thing that he knew for certain… love always made people do the strangest things. And in this case, this love that was shared between these two lovers was unbreakable throughout time and its obstacles… this was certainly an undying love. 

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Meanwhile, unknown to the romancing couple, three pairs of curious eyes were spying intently at them, two of which belonged to Chihiro's best friends, Koji and Sakari. Koji and Sakari hadn't seen Chihiro in the cafeteria all day, as they had searched eagerly and worriedly for their friend. Little did they know that their search would lead them to something as unexpected and shocking as this. 

"Aww… since that sweet, Koji? Chihiro has finally found herself a boyfriend! After all of those years, trying to find her someone to date too… and now my efforts have finally paid off! Who would have thought that she would fall for the new student so quickly? Don't you agree that they're perfect for each other?" dreamily exclaimed Sakari, as a first genuine smile of the day appeared on her face. 

In all honesty, Sakari was on cloud nine, purely happy for her best friend. Chihiro deserved this; Chihiro deserved someone to love, and someone to love her back. She was already sixteen, and someone that Sakari would be proud to call a best friend. Chihiro was kind and caring, never hesitant to help others, and always understanding… lending a friendly ear to those that needed to talk about their everyday problems. Even though Chihiro was pretty dense and innocent at most times, she was still a great person. It was finally about time that someone started to care for her in this matter; she didn't deserve to be alone… she deserved to be loved for eternity, and now… it seemed that her hopes had come true.

On the other hand, Koji shared no thoughts or feelings that were whatsoever related to what Sakari was thinking at the moment. Instead, the young and attractive teen was seething in his own bloody pool of anger and discontent… and all because of one stupid, inferior boy by the name of Haku. 

As far as Koji was concerned, Haku didn't deserve Chihiro at all. He had tried over three years just to catch Chihiro's attention… and then this jerk came out of nowhere and had Chihiro perfectly wrapped around his finger in no time! Honestly, what did this new student have that he didn't have? Why was Chihiro so naturally attracted to Haku? And did that student even deserve someone as wonderful as Chihiro?

In his own opinion, he thought that Haku didn't deserve or rightfully earn Chihiro's love. Who was the one who was supporting her for three whole years? Who was the one that shared an unbreakable friendship with her for so long? And who was the guy that Chihiro took as a date to every single school dance or prom in high school? Clearly, it was Koji, the true guy that deserved something that was as close as a romantic relationship with that beautiful young lady. 

Who the hell was this person anyways? Who did Haku think he was? All of a sudden, this new student came to this school… and already got Chihiro's love in no more than half a day?! It wasn't fair at all. He ruined any chance he had with Chihiro, wrecking three years of commitment and efforts. What angered Koji even more was that Haku didn't even have to try to win Chihiro's heart… it was as though as she gave her love to him for free! If he knew that crying to himself as though the world was at its end would win her heart so easily, he would have done it himself… like what that Haku did! 

All of a sudden, Koji's intense and angered thoughts were interrupted, as he felt a pair of gentle hands shaking him violently… as the impatient owner of those hands addressed him a question. 

"Hello? Anyone home in there, Koji? I've been trying to get your attention for a good time now!" exclaimed Sakari, thoroughly discontent and impatient… after trying to get any kind of response from Koji in the last three minutes.

"Huh? Oh… sorry about that Sakari!" apologized Koji, as he blushed slightly. He had never realized that he took so long trying to sort out his own thoughts earlier. 

"Pssh… well, you should be sorry! I was calling out your name for so long, I thought that you were already deaf or something! Pay more attention next time!" To add a desired and special effect to her message, she harshly slapped the top of his "hollow" head. 

"Ouch! Geez… I get your point already! No need to get violent, y'know!" 

"Heh. You deserved it, if you must know. Anyways… so what do you think about Chihiro's new relationship with that kid?" asked Sakari, as she pointed to the young man that was making love to Chihiro under the cherry blossom tree and the freezing rain.

"I think that the relationship is horrible, as far as I'm concerned…" 

"Horrible? Oh come on, Koji… don't be so mean! Honestly, what do you really think?" 

"One thing that I know for certain is that Chihiro shouldn't trust that Haku so easily…"

"Why can't she trust him? It isn't like he's going to rape Chihiro or anything. And if you must know, he does seem like one that could be trusted…"

"Oh please. All of the guys that wanted to date Chihiro always wore some fake and innocent mask, pretending to be someone that would be perfect for her. For all we know, Chihiro might just be having some normal, teenage infatuation on the new kid. Don't you think that it's a little bit dangerous for Chihiro to be having such an intimate relationship with a person she's only known for what… half a day? She hasn't even dated any of the guys she has known for years… what makes this guy any different from some of the others that have tried to take advantage of her in the past?" 

"Aww… come on, Koji! I'm sure you're just overreacting. Knowing her, she always has good judgement on this type of thing… as far as I'm concerned. And how do you know that she hasn't known this guy beforehand? You know, there might be a possibility that this Haku might be Chihiro's secret boyfriend or something…"

"Secret boyfriend? Listen to yourself, Sakari, and be reasonable here. Even if she has known this guy beforehand doesn't mean she should be having such a deep relationship with him. Besides, even if she did know him some time ago… why wasn't he there for her when she needed someone to comfort her, hmm? He sure doesn't seem someone that would be good enough or suitable for someone like Chihiro, that's for sure…"

Sakari sighed quietly to herself. One thing was certain; Koji could be really self-opinionated and hard-headed at times such as this. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that Koji was one of the two things. One: Koji was an overprotective and worried best friend, taking too many precautions for Chihiro's own happiness and love life. Two: Koji was a best friend that still held strong feelings for Chihiro, and that he was trying to hide his jealousy and anger to himself. She silently prayed to herself that he was the first of those two things… or else that Haku could be finding himself in a dangerous predicament in the future. 

"Even if you don't agree with her judgment, we shouldn't be deciding these things for her. It isn't our right to decide who she wants to be romantically associated with. As far as I'm concerned… if she is happy, which is clearly is right now… then I'm happy for her too!" 

"You're right. We should be letting Chihiro make her own decisions, even if it means sharing a romantic relationship with that new student…" Koji lied on the tip of his tongue. 

"I knew you'd agree with me! Now come on, let's leave those two alone now…" 

Koji glanced disapprovingly once last time at the lovingly couple under the cherry blossom tree, before following Sakari into the bustlingly cafeteria. There was surely one thing Koji knew for certain… he wasn't going to let anyone interfere with his romantic efforts; he wasn't going down without a fight… Haku was going to pay dearly, and Koji was going to see it personally.


	17. Of Intense Jealousy and Burning Hatred

**Undying Love – Of Intense Jealousy and Burning Hatred**

**Author's Note: ***grins* Whee… another COOL update! ^___^ Heh. I apologize for NOT updating in a couple of weeks. =( *frowns slightly* My time on the laptop has been severely cut down, since my prolonged time on Microsoft Word and the Internet has GREATLY damaged my eyesight quite a bit. Therefore, I will ONLY have 30 minutes of laptop time a day. Anyways, time to talk about some more positive stuff. LOLz. =P When I came on earlier today… I was REALLY shocked; I had finally reached and surpassed my goal of 150 reviews! I would like to thank ALL of the reviewers who have greatly contributed to my reviews… thank you so much! *hugglez* Heh. I'm planning to aim for 200 reviews this time! Wish me luck! XD Remember to read and review! ^___^ Hope you like this chapter!

**Chapter Dedications:** I dedicate this chapter to the following people who have added me to his/her Favourite Authors list: Maria Colt, SilverStarWing, Ravengurlie149, Kirara1, Millenium Spirit Of Shadows, Magik Bunny Ball, CoolCat10, Sesshochan1, ditterdums, faye-faye14, alannalivandra, sweet-genie-16, Meiko M, Vireyda Magodaly, Ringtir, Sakura-Star3, and FluffyLuver4Eva! I would also like to dedicate this chapter to ALL of my wonderful readers and reviewers as well! Thank you for supporting me!

It was the end of the day, and Haku was currently at his slightly damaged locker, collecting the school items that he need to bring home. His locker was about 5 feet in height, and about 1 foot in width. All over his locker were tattered stickers and minor dents, clearly showing the fact that his locker had been worn over years of careless use. Haku's locker was located all the way in the second floor, in the very corner of the northwest side of the school, where it was greatly isolated from the rest of the lockers of the bustling students. 

Though there were few people to talk to at his lockers, he was silently thankful that he was located near the most unused and unpopular doorway. All day, Haku was unfortunately followed by a large amount of students, many who bothered to stalk him everywhere he did, interrogating or flirting with him. The majority of his so-called stalkers, which can also be considered his unofficial fan club, were basically a group of crazy and desperate girls, making Haku their new male craze of the school. 

Not that the people who were following him were all girls… but the boys didn't bother to seriously clinging to him as desperately. Instead, most of the boys tended to admire Haku from afar, for his natural knowledge of the different academic subjects that were offered at the school, and the amazing athletic skills that he had displayed earlier in gym class. 

Unfortunately, there were quite a few boys that didn't accept Haku as easily. Being the new kid that Haku was, much of the male population had disliked and envied him greatly. Haku had only been in the school for one day so far… and he was already considered as one of the most popular males there. He was constantly adored and respected by his peers and teachers alike, and there were confirmed rumors that he was already dating the prettiest and most popular girl in the school, Chihiro, who was known to also be the hardest girl to impress. 

Haku was basically everything that any male in that school would want to be; intelligent, charming, multi-talented, athletic, and popular. He was basically the full and perfect package, wrapped neatly in fancy gift covers and ribbons. He was the craze of all females alike, and one that would make the perfect boyfriend of sorts. With Haku's envied reputation, he ended up gaining more enemies than allies; jealousy was a very powerful thing, and it was certainly driving a certain jealous and angry male to a path that would purposely lead Haku to much pain in the future. 

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

It was currently 4 PM, and Haku was starting to walk home after a very exhausting day. He sighed softly; he wished that he had someone to walk with him. It was quite an unfortunate coincidence that Chihiro had cheerleading practice on Fridays, therefore; Haku was forced to walk home alone. Though Haku wouldn't be able to see Chihiro immediately after school, he certainly wasn't going to have to bear the pain of not seeing Chihiro at least one more time that day. 

Fortunate for Haku, he and Chihiro had arranged dinner plans for that night. To his luck and relief, Chihiro would be eating dinner at his house, where she would reunite with Rin and Kamajii, two of her best friends from the Spirit World, who had helped her on her first encounter there. 

Sadly, in Haku's current situation, he would soon have to leave for the Spirit World. As part of the deal and his promise to Yu-Baaba, Haku would eventually have to work in the bathhouse once again. Though as much as he hated the idea of working in the bathhouse, compared to spending all of his time with his only lover, Chihiro, he was one river spirit that never broke his promises; he'd make sure he completed to the agreement that was asked of him, no matter how much he detested it. Unfortunately, Haku certainly couldn't relive the pain and agony of leaving Chihiro once again; he needed to find a way to still be able to stay with Chihiro, and complete the agreement of Yu-Baaba's at the same time.

As a result, Chihiro would not only be reuniting with Rin and Kamajii for dinner, but they would also be planning of how to bring Chihiro and himself together, without interfering with the completion of the promise that was expected of him. Unfortunately, this task was going to be quite difficult; there was no possible way that Haku could stay on Earth any longer, if he ever wanted to work in the bathhouse again.

In other words, chances are, Haku would have to bring Chihiro with him to the Spirit World for a couple of days. If he didn't have a care in a world about the loved ones of Chihiro, he wouldn't mind completing the selfish task of keeping Chihiro all to himself in the Spirit World, as they both spent their days in eternal happiness. 

Unfortunately, this certainly was not an opinion that was even to be considered. Haku knew how much Chihiro loved her parents and her friends; it would clearly be heartless and greedy of him to even consider taking Chihiro only for himself. Just as much as he loved Chihiro with all of his heart, so did others in the beautiful earth; her dear parents and best friends. It wouldn't be fair to the others who loved Chihiro all the same; they deserved her presence too.

And what about Chihiro, herself? It was obvious that she probably couldn't bear a life without her beloved parents and best friends; having Haku wouldn't be enough for her. Just the whole fact that Chihiro tried everything in her power to release her parents from Yu-Baaba's grasp six years ago showed that she had an unbreakable bond with them as well. 

Not only that, Chihiro would end up being homesick from staying in the Spirit World for so long, and she would have to abandon everything that was once her previous life. She would have to leave all of the wonderful people that supported her in the town and in the school, and she would have to leave her home and her social status. She would have to adapt to the different spirits in the Spirit World, where she would be one of the very few humans there. She would be isolated from quite a bit of the Spirit World, leaving her to almost a complete isolation, if it wasn't for the very few spirits such as himself, who had accepted her for who she was. 

Besides… what kind of life would she have in the Spirit World? Chihiro definitely couldn't bear the idea of working in the bathhouse all of her life, when she could have chosen the life of a popular girl with many friends and family to go home to each day. She was so young; Chihiro should be enjoying what childhood she had left, and not wasting it on working mercilessly in some bathhouse. 

Haku also had to consider another fact; what would she be doing with all of this free time too? Rin, Kamajii and himself would be working in the bathhouses every single day, so there was little spare time for them to spend with her during the daytime. As far as he knew it, they were the only three spirits that were her friends, aside from Kaonashi and Zeniiba, one of them who had left three years ago.

Haku sighed sadly. It seemed that life these days was treating him quite badly, except for the fact that he had finally reunited with Chihiro after so many years. He was quite relieved to know that not only that their love for each other had lasted through all of those years, but also that it had strengthen to a love that was now unbreakable for all time. 

In fact, Haku thought it was quite the miracle that Chihiro even remembered him; one of his greatest fears in the past was that Chihiro might have thought that her experience in the Spirit World was none other than a dream. Luckily, for him, Chihiro had brought back with her that magical purple hair tie that proved that none of that was a dream at all. He was also lucky that even though she was one of the most popular and prettiest girls in town, she hadn't had a boyfriend yet. 

Haku frowned greatly at the thought of Chihiro, having a boyfriend that was someone other than himself. He wouldn't know what he would have done if Chihiro had a boyfriend already, someone that she already loved that wasn't him. One thing was for sure; he was a lucky guy to love someone and be loved back from a person as wonderful as Chihiro Ogino.

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Koji Yukita finally came out of the boys' change room, feeling refreshed and relieved, as he carelessly slung the leather backpack over his shoulder. He had just finished showering off the sweat that stuck on his well-toned body, after some tiring basketball practice, and had changed into a new set of fresh clothes. He waved his other good friends farewell, as he traveled along the nearly-deserted hallways alone, looking for a certain boy that he had earlier promised to teach an important and painful lesson to. 

Today, Coach Ushida had released the boys' basketball team thirty minutes later than usual, to fit in extra practice for the championship game coming up. Ever since Koji had been the basketball team's star player and captain, the school's basketball team had won three consecutive years in the high school basketball championships, earning the school the unbreakable reputation of currently being the #1 boys' basketball team in the district. 

Lately, there were many unfortunate and confirmed rumors that one of their old and competitive rivals, Deltium High, had been doing tremendously well in the last couple of months. Ever since they had received some foreign student in the beginning of the year, who was now their greatly successful star player and captain, he had brought up the basketball team from the fifth place spot overall to the second highest spot overall, nearly having an impressive record that was closely as remarkable to the one that Koji's team had. 

As a result, Coach Ushida did everything in his power to keep the boys as long as possible each day, so that he could oversee and make sure that nothing would definitely stand in their way this year, including the new threat that had just appeared over the last couple of months. With all of the extra practices and drills, every player in the basketball had improved their skills to shear perfection, not that they weren't nearly perfect in their basketball skills to begin with. 

Being the #1 team in the district wasn't for nothing; the boys' basketball team had quite a great and proud reputation to uphold, and they'd be screwed if they lost to Deltium High, just because of some new foreign student. Losing wasn't an opinion; a lost would mean that their currently-remarkable reputation would never heal again. Much was expected of the team, and certainly of him, Koji Yukita, star player and captain of his undefeatable team. He was the best player of the team, and he definitely wasn't going to let his team or his supporters down. 

Surprisingly though, this huge basketball frustration wasn't the center of his problems or thoughts for the day. In fact, there was something that worried him more than his flawless basketball record; it was Chihiro and her new boyfriend. Well, to be honest, it wasn't Chihiro's fault that she had found herself a boyfriend that happened to be none other than the new student, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, or simply known as Haku. 

Koji was thoroughly convinced that whatever Chihiro had decided about her new romantic relationship wasn't her fault at all. For the many years that he had personally known Chihiro, she was one girl that had a strong amount of common sense and proper morals. She would never make decisions without thoroughly thinking them over, first considering all of the results and consequences of her own actions. Whatever made her decide to date Haku wasn't definitely her fault; she had been highly stressed for the last couple of days. 

Lately, Chihiro had to deal with the frustrations and pressure of the student council, who had been managing a lot more school events than usual, considering the fact that there were many new holidays that were coming up in the next couple of weeks. Not only that, Chihiro had to deal with the loads of projects and homework that the merciless teachers were giving out to all of the students, and the high school track team, who was going to be competing against all of the other schools in the district in less than two weeks. 

With all of those things to worry about, it wasn't much of a surprise that Chihiro was strongly stressed, both mind and body. Whatever had convinced her to take the path of making a newfound romantic relationship with Haku was definitely due to cunning deception and a slight lack of judgment, caused by all of the stress and pressure lately. 

And if he didn't know better, he'd think that Chihiro was also lacking quite a bit of sleep as well. Many times that week, Chihiro had been late to class in the morning and afternoon. Not that she was always on time, but she had been arriving late to classes even more than usual, and Koji was certain that it was due to a good lack of sleep, even though she had personally denied this obvious fact.

With all of these things to consider, Chihiro probably didn't have the proper judgment to be making such decisions as to consider the path of dating Haku. Who in their right mind would date some new student like Haku, anyways? It was obvious that between Haku and himself, Koji Yukita was the perfect candidate to be Chihiro's boyfriend. Considering the wonderful and successful past that was shared by himself and Chihiro, he was fit to be only one that met Chihiro's high standards, and one that could support her emotionally and psychologically. 

Whatever caused her to even consider the ridiculous idea of even trying to establish any sort of relationship with Haku was definitely none other than some clever and well-hidden deception. It was quite obvious to anyone, that Chihiro wasn't in the best shape that she could have been today, and with her already-tired mind and body, it wouldn't take a lot of effort to slightly mislead her into a different path, one that considered a romantic relationship with the new student. It was also obvious that Haku was the one that dishonestly convinced her to take a new step in this unprepared relationship, deceiving her and taking Chihiro all for himself, when it was obvious that Haku wasn't fit to be her boyfriend to begin with. 

One thing was permanently engraved on his list of things-to-do; Koji was going to make sure that today, he would hunt Haku down like the disgusting and deceptive beast that he was, and give him the proper punishment that he deserved for taking Chihiro away from the one person that actually deserved her love, Koji Yukita.

**New Updates and Questions/Answers: **

Hey everyone! =P This is a new section that I made that would notify you of any new updates or changes in the different chapters of the story, or would answer your questions that you have written in your reviews. I really do hope that this new section clears some of the previous confusion that you may have encountered with the story. Hope it helps!

For the new updates, I have currently changed some minor details in the last chapter. Instead of four different pairs of eyes that were spying on Chihiro and Haku under the cherry blossom tree, I have changed it to only three pairs of eyes, for my own personal reasons, which will slightly affect the story and the things that I have planned for in later chapters. 

**Where is that hard core attitude Haku had at the end of the movie? **I know that I have portrayed Haku as one that is now fragile and "whimpish" in my story, but do note that unlike the movie, Haku has certainly developed a stronger love and care for Chihiro, believing that Chihiro is the only lover for him in his life. Unlike the love for a best friend, as slightly projected in the movie, I have developed the romance into something that makes their love more intimate and personal, something that is one of a kind and a lot more mature than a love that is developed during the age of 10. As a result of this love, I do believe that it is somewhat realistic that Haku would be more fragile, since he cares for Chihiro as the most important person in his life.

**If there were 4 sets of eyes, then does that other person have 2 sets? **Ahh… this question is partly the reason that I have slightly changed the previous chapter. I reread my own chapter again, and I realized that this issue was a little too confusing when I wrote it. Originally, the idea was that two sets of eyes belonged to Koji and Sakari, and the other two eyes belonged to two different spirits in the Spirit World that were plotting against Chihiro and Haku. But when I put this idea into words, it was easily misinterpreted. So instead, the previous chapter has been changed to only three different sets of eyes, two which belong to each of Chihiro's best friends… and one that belongs to the mysterious spirit that is plotting against the lovers.


	18. Life Is Never Easy

**Undying Love – Life Is Never Easy**

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! *grins* As you can see, I'm STILL alive, contrary to what so many of my readers believe. =O *hears many people gasp* LOLz. XD I'm so VERY sorry that I haven't updated since the summer. *pouts sadly* I've been having so much homework lately. The teachers have been practically drowning me with piles and piles of homework; it's amazing how I still have enough time to even get a couple of hours of sleep. 

I was originally planning to release a new chapter before the summer ended. But, by the time summer did end, the chapter was only 3 pages long and halfway complete. Therefore, I decided to spend more time completing this chapter to the best of my abilities. I never expected that I would take THIS long to release my newest chapter, which is about 6.5 pages long on Microsoft Word, making this chapter my LONGEST one yet! *cheers* 

I was supposedly was going to add a LOT more stuff to this chapter, but, after seeing so many reviews that requested a new update on my story, I decided against this. Though this chapter isn't as long as I intended, it is still a VERY long chapter for anyone to read. I apologize if this chapter doesn't have as much action/suspense that you've hoped for; I do promise that more juicy conflicts will come up in the next couple of chapters. *already has the whole plot mentally set in her mind* And as usual, please read and review! ^____^ Hope you enjoy this chapter! *hugz*

**Chapter Dedications: **I dedicate this chapter to the following people who have added me to his/her Favourite Authors list: Maria Colt, SilverStarWing, Ravengurlie149, Kirara1, Millenium Spirit Of Shadows, Magik Bunny Ball, CoolCat10, Sesshochan1, ditterdums, faye-faye14, alannalivandra, sweet-genie-16, Meiko M, Vireyda Magodaly, Ringtir, Sakura-Star3, FluffyLuver4Eva, Tael95, and SARSinjection. x! I would also like to dedicate this chapter to ALL of my supportive readers and reviewers as well! *grins happily*****

Haku was currently walking home as he just exited the huge white school building five minutes ago, which was now behind him. Though Haku was somewhat bothered by the fact that he would soon have to face his own problems and try to solve them as much as possible, he was also silently thankful that he would not have to confront his greatest fears alone. 

One thing was for sure, he personally knew that dealing things by himself was not the best idea ever, especially if that problem couldn't be solved by only one person. Haku shuddered violently at the thought of the previous man that he once was; a spirit that was always so prideful and independent. His pride and honor got the best of him in the past; he often tried to solve huge conflicts and problems by himself, without even asking for any help. 

Haku knew very well that it was better to put the pride aside and ask for assistance and advice, than to deal things unreasonably by trying to handle things on his own. Haku knew this very well from his own experiences, like when he nearly died trying to steal the magical golden seal from Yu-Baaba's twin sister, Zeniiba. By venturing to a place where strong magic lurked, without assistance of any sort, he had nearly died that night, trying to complete a nearly impossible task by himself. In fact, if it wasn't for Chihiro, who had helped him conquer his near-death obstacles, he might not have been here today.

Haku, now being a changed man who was able to push away some of his pride when he knew he needed help, knew that there was no shame in asking for it. There was nothing wrong in asking for help when he knew he needed it; it was better to ask help and succeed, than to sustain unneeded pride that led to danger and failure. 

In fact, Haku thought that asking for help when it was clearly needed was a smart and responsible thing to do, showing how much he had matured over the years. It was the logical and natural way of life that not all things could be solved by one person; he was thankful that he had other friends to support him when he needed help.

Haku continued his way home on the cracked cement sidewalks, as he casually slipped both of his hands on each side of his denim jeans. He quietly glanced at all of the various houses in the neighbourhood, putting on another one of his genuine grins. Around him, it seemed that the children and adults that were talking or playing happily with one another. Just as much as there were so many tragedies and crimes happening all around the world, it seemed that humans always found ways to enjoy life to its fullest. It was nice to know that although the world was seemingly a violent place at times, there was still space left for people to enjoy their lives.

Haku sighed at the thought, trying to remember his past childhood in the Spirit World, when he first arrived at the Spirit World as none other than a form of a little boy. Ever since he had lost his river on the Earth, Haku had immediately arrived in the Spirit World, the world where a few chosen ones are sent after they have passed away in their previous lives. 

Once he had arrived at the Spirit World, Haku was immediately reincarnated into a river spirit that took form of a humanoid child, experiencing his new reincarnated life, like any of the other nature-related spirits who had lost their homes on the Earth long ago. 

When Haku was still in his first few years in his young childhood form, he was still too young to work at the bathhouse at the time. Oh… those were certainly the days; the days where each minute seemed like a beautiful piece of perfection. Those were the days when he lived as a free spirit, one that roamed the grassy plains in happiness with other young spirits, spending his time enjoying what time he had in his life, instead of working at the bathhouse.

Unfortunately, once his body and mind had matured of age, Haku was immediately sent to work in the bathhouses like everyone else. His childhood memories and freedom was limited to nothing but a fantastical dream of the young Haku he once was. Unlike the rest of the other bathhouse workers, Haku was nearly on the top of the bathhouse management, working right under Yu-Baaba, as her so-called loyal apprentice. Being an apprentice to a powerful witch had its rewards; Haku learned to develop his own magical powers unlike many of the other spirits and bathhouse workers there. 

Sadly, Haku was often given more dangerous tasks to accomplish under Yu-Baaba. These dangerous tasks often included stealing enormously powerful magic items from lethal and trained witches and wizards, who usually had magical powers that either equaled or surpassed those of Yu-Baaba's. As Haku completed each of the given tasks, he had greatly risked his life each time, returning to the bathhouse with many serious or life-threatening wounds. But, as Haku gradually completed his daily set of tasks, he greatly developed his magical powers and his well-built body, which now was able to withstand much physical pain and endurance.

Haku's rare and strong magical powers often left him highly respected amongst the spirits working at the old bathhouse. With his high position, he was the second main authority figure at the bathhouse, next to Yu-Baaba. Being Yu-Baaba's so-called "henchman", he often gave out orders to the bathhouse workers, which were given to him by Yu-Baaba herself. Any time Yu-Baaba wasn't present for some reason, Haku would immediately take over all management responsibilities at the bathhouse.

Though his job and position made him quite isolated from the rest of the workers, Haku still had two friends at the bathhouse, Rin and Kamajii, who were both bathhouse workers that had a lower position than himself. With Haku's journeys and duties every single day, he had little free time to himself, much less to make many friends. In fact, at the bathhouse, Haku had only bothered to make two friends out of all of the workers there. 

Without any other river spirits such as himself or Raisuke, Haku had little prospects of making friends with the Aogaeru, the frog-like spirits that made up most of the male workers at the bathhouse, who had barely anything that was common or related to himself. On the other hand, the Yunas, or the female spirits with a humanoid appearance, were the only female workers at the bathhouse. With a similar situation with the Aogaeru and Raisuke, Haku didn't bother to make an effort with building any sort of a friendship with the Yunas as well. Not that the Yunas were bad-spirited people in any way, but the Yunas tended to uncomfortably stalk or corner him every chance they got.

Like the crazed female students at Haku's new school, the Yunas in some way had a close resemblance to them. The Yunas often stole glances at him when he was in their vicinity, and had the uncanny habit of spreading the most interesting rumors about him. The Yunas would often blush slightly at his present, as they "secretly" admired his physical and magical attributes. In some cases, this female situation got out of hand when the different annual festivities were nearing. Some of the Yunas would often see him personally and ask him out to be their date for the festival coming up. 

As a result, Haku couldn't exactly be blamed for his current avoidance of any sort of contact with the Yunas. But, to his luck, the Yunas hadn't been stalking at him as much for the last couple of years, due to Raisuke's presence at the bathhouse. Though Haku personally hated everything that Raisuke stood for, he was barely glad that Raisuke did arrive at the bathhouse a few years ago, even though he failed to deny this fact to himself many times. 

Like Haku, Raisuke was one that was also respected and admired amongst the Yunas. Because of Raisuke's presence, the Yunas' stalking attention was often split between the two powerful and attractive male river spirits. Unlike Haku though, Raisuke loved to receive the undying attention from his loyal admirers, as he took the pleasure of enjoying every extra shred that he got. Thankfully, this helped relieve Haku of the annoyance and pressure that the Yunas were often putting on him every time he came to check up on their work daily.

He sighed softly; life as a regular teenager didn't seem so bad as compared to the other life that he currently left behind at the bathhouse. Not that life in the Spirit World was that bad or anything, but after experiencing two completely different lives, he definitely preferred to deal with the regular problems that any other teenager on Earth would have to deal with, than having to work at the bathhouse every single day. He was already beginning to enjoy the amount of freedom that he had on Earth in the form of a humanoid teenager; he honestly didn't want to go back to the working life he once had, devoid of much leisure time and freedom. Haku couldn't honestly comprehend why the other students at school were complaining so much about their lives; he'd trade his life at the bathhouse for anyone else's lives any day.

It was just that Haku would soon have to return to his life at the bathhouse; he was going to live out his time on the Earth as full as possible. Now that he was reunited with Chihiro, Haku would make sure that they would stay together in some way, for all of the years to come; he'd hope that the luck he had so far in his current life would hold out for the rest of the days that he would spend with his beloved Chihiro. Little did Haku know that Chihiro would be the reason that would drive another man to end Haku's current streak of luck.

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Koji Yukita had just exited the school building quickly, as he ran on the sidewalks that led to the nearest neighbourhood and to the so-called "haunted" forest. The so-called "haunted" forest was named Feikoru Forest, which the name derived from the first name of the girl that disappeared in that forest long ago. Ever since the disappearance of the young teenage girl, many of the residents that lived in the town kept away from the forest as much as possible. Not that there were any more disappearances in the Feikoru Forest, but many disturbing and super-natural sightings started to spur after the girl's disappearance in that forest.

Popular and unbelievable rumors from many of the town residents claimed that there was a hidden passage surrounded by two frog-shaped stone statues that led to who-knows-what. Naturally, the Feikoru Forest had been searched many times by the town residents and outsiders alike, but no such passage had been found officially. Koji had been hearing of those fantastical stories ever since he was just a young boy, and had even traveled to the Feikoru Forest himself, to see if the rumors were true; Koji found no such doorway that he had heard of so much about in those rumors that he listened to for years.

As a result of these rumors, the Feikoru Forest was also a common spot for disobedient teenagers to sneak out of their homes in the middle of the night and meet there to create wild parties or to complete mischievous dares. The Feikoru Forest was also a favourite spot for young couples to complete their not-so-innocent activities with complete privacy. Because of the many of weird sightings, not any of the town residents, including the many adults, bothered to stop the rebellious and inappropriate activities that were happening at the Feikoru Forest each night, even though it was common knowledge to everyone what always took place there.

Many people of different ages claimed that they had saw see-through or glowing beings on random occasions, wandering around in the forest, all having a remarkably close appearance to humans, as these mysterious beings often wore awkward-looking black and white pattern masks. The town residents believed that those mysterious beings were either ghosts or spirits of some sort, probably relating to the mysterious doorway that some people claimed led to some other magical world that was beyond the Earth.

Because of all of these rumors, the Peiko neighbourhood, which unfortunately happened to be the nearest neighbourhood to the Feikoru Forest, wasn't exactly the most favourable place to be living beside. This neighbourhood was also probably one of the most unpopular residential places to live in town. And wasn't it just a jolly coincidence that the new student happened to live there? Who in their right mind would live there, anyways? Koji was certainly getting a weird vibe from that Haku ever since he laid eyes on him; Koji wasn't blind, there was just something weird and mysterious about that new student. 

In the past, the Peiko neighbourhood was a popular site for people who either dealt or had some connection with illegal activities. Often, the Peiko neighbourhood was a favourite spot for criminals to hide out, or a place where people who had many disturbing secrets to conceal lived there. It was obvious that Haku wasn't the normal kid that he portrayed to be; quite a few of the residents of Peiko neighbourhood were known to be secretive or awkward in their ways of life. That innocence act of Haku's couldn't fool him; Haku was certainly hiding some sort of secret from everyone else.

Besides, what were the chances that someone would even buy a house in Peiko neighbourhood? Though the residents of Peiko neighbourhood often kept to themselves and stood out of trouble, the houses in that neighbourhood often took many months or years to sell. It was common knowledge, even to outsiders, that something disturbing and mysterious lurked there, making that neighbourhood one of the more avoided places to visit. And wasn't it just an amazing coincidence that the new student had to buy a house near the Feikoru Forest, when he could have bought better houses near the school? 

Aside from the whole fact that Haku lived in Peiko neighbourhood, there were many other things that were disturbing about him. It seemed that every single time someone tried to ask about Haku's past, he'd try his best to covertly avoid the questions as much as possible, as though he had something to hide. Koji wasn't blind; he could see through people like clear glass. Didn't it make sense that Haku would be trying to cover up his past… because he had something valuable and crucial to hide? 

Koji also couldn't accept the fact that Haku happened to come all the way from Misku, a city that was miles and miles away from here, which would be about a day or two's drive. It was known that Misku was one of the more popular places in Japan to live in, due to its technological advancements, many resources, and high-standard living and educational conditions. Moving away from the wonderful place of Misku all the way to Peiko neighbourhood was a highly-likely move that wouldn't be done by most people; there was just something fishy about this.

Not only did Haku live in one of the weirdest places ever, there were many other awkward circumstances that led Koji to question the validity of his honesty. Ever time that any one tried to unravel Haku's clouded past or wanted to personally learn about him, he'd have the wonderful habit of either looking down on the floor or up at the ceiling, as though either of them have suddenly turned into the most interesting thing on Earth. Koji had to give some credit to that Haku; his acting skills were pretty good. Oh, if he only got rid of that one bad habit, then his acting skills would be flawless, and there might have been a good chance that Koji himself wouldn't have known that Haku was lying to others to begin with.

With that secretive and dishonest nature of Haku's, Koji just couldn't leave Haku alone so easily. Well, to begin with, a person that he hardly knew about happened to be dating the lovely crush of his life. Being the cunningly deceptive and untruthful person that Haku was clearly being, Koji thought that Haku was far from the perfect or ideal candidate to be Chihiro's friend, much less a boyfriend, someone who had to be understanding, supportive, and truthful at all times. As far as Koji was concerned, Haku wasn't one to be trusted; Koji was going to make sure that he'd protect his Chihiro from the likes of deceptive scum like Haku.

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Haku was still walking home from school, as he saw the glimpse of his house at the far ends of the Peiko neighbourhood. Haku turned his left wrist slightly, as he caught the flash of his dark blue watch. He sighed in relief; it was still pretty early in the day as far as he was concerned, and the sun wouldn't set for about another two hours. Haku grinned to himself, as a small smile was plastered on his face; he was sure that about 30 minutes to himself in the Feikoru Forest would do him some good and help him to relax, since Chihiro wouldn't be arriving at his house for another three hours.

Haku checked his surroundings to make sure that no one was following or watching him, as he quietly and casually walked into the Feikoru Forest, the forest that was claimed to be haunted. It was common knowledge in the Spirit World that the Feikoru Forest was a favourite spot for many spirits, such as himself, to relax there. Haku recalled, with some embarrassment and anger, all of the interesting times when he performed some mischief of his own. By wearing one of those traditional white and black spirit masks, Haku started to scare the people away from the forest in his spirit form in the past. 

This, of course, was after Rin convinced him… or more like blackmailed him, to take part in her daily set of "beneficial" activities. By threatening to reveal all of his precious secrets to Raisuke, including all of the wet dreams that he had of his darling Chihiro, Haku finally gave in to Rin's cunning plans. Between living thorough some childish horror and revealing your deepest secrets to your worst enemy, the first choice was certainly better.

Haku cringed strongly at the thought of being caught in his own mischievous acts; it certainly wasn't going to be the best of circumstances if he got caught. Haku also shuddered violently at the thought; what if this embarrassing information got into the wrong hands, such as Yu-Baaba, or even worse… Raisuke? His reputation would surely never heal, and the bathhouse workers would surely lose respect for him as well. Not only that, Yu-Baaba would surely punish him severely; and knowing her, she would always find the most interesting ways to torment the pitiful workers out of their misery. 

And as for Raisuke, Haku hardly wanted to know how Raisuke would use this information to his sick amusement and pleasure. Raisuke surely wasn't the good-natured spirit that he made most people believe; he was also ambitious, self-centered, arrogant, prideful, and determined to use anything to bring down anyone who was standing in his way of being supremely the best. With Raisuke's quasi-evil and complicated mind, it wasn't surprising that Raisuke always found some way to satisfy his amusement, through the means of playfully torturing others through embarrassment. If there was one thing Raisuke loved most, it was certainly humiliating Haku, finding anything he could use to always prove that he was better than the other competitive river spirit.

Both Haku and Raisuke, being river spirits that worked in the bathhouse, the natural rivalry that was created between them surely wasn't unexpected. Spirit rivalry was always one of the more common things that happened in the Spirit World; spirits there were always prideful and proud of their family backgrounds, accomplishments, and skills. Spirits prized the idea of competition and rivalry; life was always a competition of being the best, better than any other spirit in the Spirit World. This competition and rivalry had been passed down in families through many generations; it was as though it was a natural trait between all spirits ever since childhood. Even the female spirits were quite heated in the idea of such rivalry; therefore, an intense rivalry between Haku and Raisuke, who were both coincidentally river spirits and males, wasn't uncalled for.

Haku sighed softly; these thoughts about life at the Spirit World brought him back to his previous predicament … how would he still be able to spend time with his Chihiro when he would have to return to his working life at the bathhouse? Even after getting the Amulet of Life, it still didn't solve the fact that Haku still lacked the time and freedom to cherish loving moments with his lover. Haku inclined his head slightly, somewhat depressed by this disappointing truth that he was facing. 

Haku shook his head, as if to relive himself of some disturbing thought that was lingering in his mind. He glanced at his watch again, he still had 20 minutes to himself before he had to return back home; it was enough to take off the Amulet of Life and the human-form spell that was cast all over his body. 

Not that taking human form was such a horrible ordeal, but Haku still preferred his spirit form over the one that he currently had. In his spirit form, he was a lot more carefree in terms of his movements, and he was able to even transform into his dragon form. With his dragon form, Haku would always bring himself to take some time to enjoy what the beautiful sky had to graciously offer to him. 

He was quite eager himself today; Haku purposely wanted to leave some time to roam the skies that were on Earth. From many of the other river spirits who had secretly used the ancient doorway to travel to Earth, Haku had heard much praise for the beautiful skies and the perfect view that Japan had to offer. Haku wanted to experience these pleasures for himself, and make his own personal opinion about such things.

Haku slowly reached under the amulet that was loosely hanging on his neck, as he softly grasped it and prepared to bring the Amulet of Life above his head. As Haku was halfway taking off the precious necklace, he heard a violent brush of wind. The alarmed river spirit released his gentle clutch on the amulet; as immediately turned to see what had made the noise, startlingly coming face-to-face with a powerful fist that was intentionally aiming for him.


	19. It’s Time to Finally Let Go

**Undying Love – It's Time to Finally Let Go**

**Author's Notes: **Hey everyone! *grins* I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a really long while. I've tried my best to update the story as much as possible. Originally, I was planning to edit all other 18 chapters… but I haven't really gotten that much time to do that yet. *frowns* I apologize for updating so slowly… it much be really a pain to wait for a month, just to find a new chapter here. Luckily, I'm having a long weekend here… so I was able to update today. Please note that only chapter 1 has been fully edited; I haven't started updating the other chapters yet. 

You might also notice that there aren't any new characters in the chapter later on. *apologizes again* I was planning to introduce a new character, and much more detailed development of the plot… but I realized that writing the chapter would take me forever. Actually, to say at the least… this chapter was a full four and a half pages on Microsoft Word. This chapter is not even half of what I was originally planning to write about. Sad, isn't it?

Anyways, I do hope that you like this chapter. This chapter is very emotionally-oriented, but hopefully… you'll find it to your liking. *worked very hard on this chapter* You may have also noticed that the genre and summary of this story has changed. The genre of this story is mainly Romance/Drama now… but also can be categorized in the Fantasy genre as well. The story has been taking quite a significant turn now… and I have a whole new set of plans for _Undying Love, which will be better than what I have originally plan. Well… hope to hear from everyone! Remember to read and review! Enjoy!_

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**Special Author's Notes - Sydni Nelson: **To Sydni Nelson, I really thank you for all of your reviews and support! I was reading your reviews the other day… and I saw that you wanted some advice for writing fanfiction. Erm, well… in my opinion, I'd suggest that you check for proper spelling/grammar first. There is a tendency that if people look at a fanfiction, and see loads of spelling/grammar mistakes… they might not bother to read that story at all. Checking for spelling/grammar helps to clear out any confusion in what you are trying to convey to the readers.

Having a person to edit your story would be good too. Peer editing is always a plus, and sometimes… other people can see errors or places of improvement that might not be apparent to you. 

Lastly, make sure that your summary is catchy and fully edited. The thing that makes others want to read your story is when there's either one of two things: lots of reviews… or an interesting summary. The summary might only be a few words, but it is crucial to help attract readers to take a peek at your story. Hope this advice helps!

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**Chapter Dedications: **I dedicate this chapter to the following people who have added me to his/her Favourite Authors list: Vegeta-and-Maria, SilverStarWing, Ravengurlie149, Kirara1, Millenium Spirit Of Shadows, Magik Bunny Ball, CoolCat10, Sesshochan1, ditterdums, faye-faye14, alannalivandra, sweet-genie-16, Meiko M, Vireyda Magodaly, Ringtir, Sakura-Star3, FluffyLuver4Eva, Tael95, SARSinjection. x, Ravenessa, khelen, Arlibie, xoxLoveWhorexox, and darkmidnightgoddess! I would also like to dedicate this to all of the other readers who have been patient with my updating, and have support this story endlessly! Thank you, everyone!

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Haku clutched painfully at his stomach, as he now lay carelessly on the forest floor. Haku coughed violently as syrupy blood left his mouth, his entire body in utmost physical pain. When the first powerful fist came in contact with his face, Haku wasn't prepared to protect himself from the following physical bombardments on his body. Though he tried his best to block the punches and kicks that were coming his unfortunate way, he was still awfully dizzy from the first punch. And after several minutes of constant and relentless abuse, Haku's body was hardly in the perfect condition that it once was.

Though it wasn't blatantly obvious in his current appearance, Haku's body was now covered in many purple-brown bruises of different sizes, mostly concentrated on the mid-part of his body. Haku panted tiredly for air, as he tried to shut out the piercing pain that coursed all over. The pitiful boy silently thanked destiny, as the constantly attacks on his wounded body came to a sudden stop.

Almost instantly, a tremendous surge of anger pumped through Haku's veins. Who had the nerve to beat him up for no particular reason?! It there was one thing that he hated the most; it would be when people intentionally harm others for no justifiable reason. What did he do to be treated in such a cruel and cold manner? 

Thinking to himself quietly, nothing came to mind. Whoever had decided to use him as a punching bag definitely had some serious problems… or either that, had some unknown grudge with him that he wasn't aware of. What was even worse was that the attacker did a surprise assault on him… and that was just cowardly and unjust. At least if his attacker had some unsolved dilemmas with him, he/she could have talked to him first, trying to solve the problem in a more peaceful and civilized manner.

Haku, wanting to desperately know the identity of his attacker, used every ounce of his energy to turn his head upwards, to see the coward's face. His greenish-blue eyes made contact with a familiar and amused pair of deep black eyes. Haku's piercing eyes widen in complete shock; those eyes belonged to Koji, Chihiro's best friend. 

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

Koji watched angrily, yet somewhat amusingly, as the pathetic wreck, better known as Chihiro's new boyfriend… was sprawled carelessly on the dusty ground. Though he couldn't see any visible scars or bruises on the young boy below him, he knew that Haku was obviously still in pain, as the boy struggled to pull his act together. 

Though Koji knew that violence often wasn't the most righteous way to solve things, he felt some sickening satisfaction because of the fact that he held some power against this boy. Chihiro knew that if she ever found out what he did, she would most likely never forgive him for his sins. After all, she never did approve of the aggressive and hateful ways for solving life's problems. 

And yet, during the moment of his merciless attack on the unknowing boy, Koji felt no regret or guilt whatsoever for his harsh actions… at first. Koji was surprised, yet terrified, of the envious and savage beast that was released from within him during the pain-afflicting confrontation. Though he was often known to be short-tempered and violent in his ways, he would still take a short moment to think things through.

However, this case was truly different. Unlike the other people he had "punished" in the past, Haku didn't create any sort of direct hostile aggression towards him. And yet, Koji felt no sort of compassion for the once innocent and peaceful boy before him. Koji couldn't explain it… once spotting the boy alone in the forest sparked some sort of immediate response within him. It was just a perfect opportunity to physically confront Haku… something that he just couldn't resist.

The devil within Koji alerted him that the boy was alone, and vulnerable to any sort of attack. However, his angelic side told him that what he was doing was morally wrong, and that the poor boy didn't deserve such a harsh fate. Yet, Koji was intensely compelled to do the wrong deed, to beat the hell out of the boy before him… without any remorse or hesitation. 

Trying to comprehend what had just occurred; Koji had stopped his array of punches and kicks. What had happened? Why did he just lose control like that? Koji just couldn't understand it. Never before in his life… did he ever lose the self-discipline that he upheld. He was always in full-control of his life, his actions, and everything else around him that mattered. What made him unleash the terrifying and uncontrollable demon from within him? 

Koji pondered to himself for a few moments… and suddenly things had become so obviously clear. He lost his sense of control because of fear… because of jealousy… and because of pure hatred. Though he couldn't accept this fact, deep within him, he somehow knew that he was fighting a losing and hopeless battle.

The young man just couldn't understand it… where did things go so wrong? Koji nearly had his fantasies and dreams of being with Chihiro turned into reality… and suddenly, those high hopes of his seem to disappear… all because of Haku. He couldn't understand it… three whole years of being the closest male to Chihiro, and yet... this new student had no problems whatsoever, to pull Chihiro from right under his nose!

Koji couldn't accept such painful rejection… it just wasn't fair. He always convinced himself that it was never Chihiro's fault for breaking his heart; she never did really know the true feelings he still held for her, until he had confessed today. Koji and Chihiro had always joked about the various males that were always hounding her, and yet… at the same time, Chihiro seemed to be utterly oblivious to the evident signs of affection radiating from her best friend.

He couldn't understand it… how could someone be so close to achieving happiness and fulfilled dreams, and yet so far at the same time? What was so special about Haku? What did Haku have that he didn't? And most importantly… why did it always seem that he could never win Chihiro's heart, regardless of the constant support he had always offered through the years? 

Though Koji would never admit it to anyone else, he knew that somehow… destiny played a most interesting part in life; it always seemed that Chihiro would never belong to him, regardless of his constant efforts. Somehow, in his mind and in his heart, he knew that the new student was not to blame for attracting the affections of his love life. If he was in Haku's shoes, he would have tried to win Chihiro's friendship or… affections as well.

But, after still knowing these facts, Koji could not fully forgive the boy before him. He couldn't bear the fact that his hard work went all to waste in a single day, and all because of this supposedly "harmless" and innocent boy. He couldn't stand the idea of losing the center of his entire life to a person he hardly knew… and a person that he didn't even think deserved her love for the matter. 

However, what really fired up Koji's doubts and anger was the fact that her boyfriend, was never there for her when she was down in the slums. That Haku was never there for her when she shed the most painful tears… he was never there went she experienced physical or psychologically pain… was this Haku someone that truly could take care of his Chihiro? Did Haku deserve Chihiro's love… even after the lack of emotional and mental support for his own girlfriend? And what was even more disturbing was where this boy could be all of these years, when Chihiro needed the help of her friends and family the most?

Truth be told, Haku was never there for all those tough times that Chihiro had to go through. Koji sighed to himself… one thing was for sure, those questions of his would be solved soon enough. As he stared up into the angry, but curious eyes that belonged to Haku… he truly knew now that Haku had no clue of the heartbreaking pain that the boy had inflicted to him. Looking over the boy's body once again, he decided that it was finally time to leave the boy in peace. 

While looking into those deep eyes a few more moments, Koji sighed to himself… realizing that he was going nowhere. Even after beating the hell out of Haku, it seemed that Haku's eyes weren't faltering a bit; the boy's eyes clearly reflected much anger and frustration. As he locked gazes with Haku longer, Koji got the sudden impression that the boy finally knew what this male-domination conflict was about. Koji was able to see people like glass, and Haku had no intentions of giving up Chihiro to anyone, much less to him. 

He frowned… knowing that his chance of taking Chihiro for himself, and protecting her from other male influences was coming to an end. Even though he was able to indirectly shield Chihiro from dating other guys for the last few years, there was only so much control he had over her love life. Even after confessing his undying love to her this morning, he could tell that Chihiro was trying hard to spare his feelings; she just didn't feel the same way. No matter what he did, Chihiro would never be his by a long shot; he could no longer prevent other males from associating with his lovely best friend. 

Koji stuffed his hands in his pockets, staring up in the sky… as he recalled the heated argument that he had with Chihiro a couple of months ago…

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

"I'm so sick of your actions, Koji! Why in seven hells did you beat him up for?!" Chihiro screamed furiously, her face reddening with every passing moment. She paused to catch her breath, as she glared at her best friend in exasperation and discontent.

"I was doing it for your own good! The guy's hands were on your waist… and he was on the brink of groping you senseless! You should be grateful that I got rid of deceptive scum like him, before he was able to do some more… _drastic…" Koji spat disapprovingly, disgusted with the lustful and sexually deprived male, who was in no doubt… trying to hit on Chihiro._

"_Drastic? Oh please…" scoffed Chihiro unconvincingly, rolling her eyes after hearing another one of Koji's fantastical spurts of unreasonable imagination. "Aya was just having a friendly conversation with me, that's all!"_

"A _friendly conversation?! Did I hear you just say a _friendly _conversation?! Trust me… it was far from "friendly", or "innocent"… for that matter. Besides, it sure look like you two were about to do something a little __too friendly… like kissing!" Koji said disapprovingly, as an apparent frown played on his handsome and troubled features. Koji watched quietly as more intense emotions crossed her face, which were being fueled by his not-so-considerate accusations._

"And so what if we were going to do something more?! What business is it of yours, anyways? God, if there was something I hated more about you, it would be that irrational… overprotective mind you've developed throughout the years!" she shrieked loudly, despising the fact that Koji had the nerve to make such foolish and low claims of her.

"I was trying to protect you from males that could potentially harm you! Why can't you understand this?" the young male said quietly, pained by the fact that his best friend didn't appreciate the care that he had for her. 

"I don't need your protection, Koji! For heaven sakes, I'm _sixteen years old, not some toddler in need of moral guidance and physical protection! I'm able to make my own decisions now, okay?! Honestly, not _every _single male who is interested in me is trying to exploit me for who-knows-what! You always think that when a male shows interest in me, you suddenly have to play the goody-goody hero! Sheesh… you act like as if you are my boyfriend or something, when you clearly aren't! Thank god that I'm not your girlfriend; I just shudder at the thought of how unreasonable you would act every single time!" Chihiro blurted out the painful and harsh words instinctively, immediately seeing the heartbreaking emotions that played on his depressing features._

Chihiro covered one hand with her mouth, as she looked guilty at Koji… who now had his back faced to her, his head hung down limply. "Koji… I… I didn't mean what I said. I don't why I said such horrible things… I don't know what came over me… I'm… I'm sorr--" 

Koji interrupted Chihiro, still not able to get over the upsetting and cold words that were directed towards him a moment ago. "You don't need to say anything more. You were… you were right. I'm not your boyfriend, and… I honestly don't think I'll ever be in your eyes. I know that I don't have any jurisdiction over your love life. It was my fault for being _irrational_ and _overprotective…_" Koji exclaimed forcefully, shedding but a single tear, as each of the strained words leaving his mouth left a painful scar like no other. 

Her words still echoed like an endless, beating drum in his mind… and it was killing him slowly like a sharp machete cutting through his beating heart. He couldn't bear to face her again for the moment; she would just bring back memories of pain that she inflicted so mercilessly on him. He walked away from Chihiro, never turning back to glance at the girl calling his name, as the young female shed tears of sadness and guilt.

_"Koji… I'm so sorry…"_

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

It had been two weeks after the heated argument, before Koji and Chihiro finally made up and started talking to each other again. Even after Chihiro had told him that the dreadful words she had spoken were false… Koji could not help but to think otherwise. From past experiences, Koji knew that often honest feelings and thoughts are often said at the most unexpected times, when your emotions become rampant and uncontrollable. 

Though Koji and Chihiro never did admit this fact to each other, they knew that her words that day were how Chihiro _truly_ perceived him. For the first month since that argument, Koji tried to tell himself that Chihiro had only said those words because of pure instinct; that those words were only formed because of her anger that day. But as Koji tried to contemplate the situation more and more, he came to realize that even with all of the regrets and denials that he and Chihiro went through… it did no justice to contradict the fact that during those heated moments… hidden thoughts and feelings of each other were released.

Koji glanced at the tattered and bruised boy below him, a slight frown tugging at his lips. Even after knowing the fact that Chihiro would never be his, he could not help but still feel some sort of bitter hatred for this Haku. Koji, being always someone who got his way, couldn't bear the fact that he lost the most important and valuable thing of his life to a person who didn't even try to win Chihiro's love. 

Koji let out a disgruntled breath, tilting his head up… as he looked at the dark blue sky above him. He knew that two wrongs didn't make a right… and that people couldn't choose who they loved. Koji finally accepted the fact that things could never be changed between himself and Chihiro… they would only be at most, best friends.

Koji turned away from the boy, now knowing that it was finally time to let go of Chihiro… regardless of the intense feelings that he still held for her. As he gracefully and slowly walked away from the wounded teen, Koji let out but a whisper of words directed to Chihiro's new boyfriend:

_"She deserves someone who can bring her true happiness… someone who won't make her cry. Please take good care of my Chihiro."_


	20. Forgive and Forget?

**Undying Love – Forgive and Forget?**

**Author's Note: **IEE! A new update… and only in a week too! I've been trying to update my story more lately… since I want to try to get this story done before my school exams come up at the end of January. I was planning to add more content to this chapter, but I decided against it… for my own reasons… which I'll explain after the release of the next chapter! I do hope that you really like this chapter! *used up all of her free time at school, and much of my Friday to write this* As usual, I'd love to hear from you guys! Remember to read and review, and give your input on what you think about the story! Thanks for reading!

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Haku reached his home about 25 minutes after the ruthless beating, still all painfully bruised and sore. Though he wouldn't confess this secret to anyone else, Koji sure knew how to throw a deathly punch… or brutally attack someone unfairly for the matter. During the walk to his home, Haku contemplated on the situation at hand, deciding that it would be better to tell Chihiro and the others about Koji, _after _they finished their short stay in the Spirit World.

A couple of hours ago, it was unanimously decided that the whole gang would return to the Spirit World, with Chihiro included. Just as expected, Chihiro had been ecstatically happy after hearing the wonderful news. Haku had grinned and gave himself a good pat on the back, absolutely cheerful that his flawless plan worked perfectly to acquire the wanted reaction from his love. He had long gotten the impression that Chihiro desperately wanted to visit the Spirit World, considering the fact that she kept on bombarding him with various questions about the Spirit World, during most of their conversations that day.

Though much of his anger towards the black-eyed boy dissipated, some of the bitterness for this Koji was still left behind. Haku had an almost irresistible urge to tattletale on the boy, grinning at the thought of the various things that Chihiro would do to the pitiful boy. But out of all the wonderful things that his broad imagination conjured up, Haku melted at the idea of hand-imprinted-faced Koji, being viciously slapped and scolded by his enchanting Chihiro. Adding a speck of blackish-blue bruises on Koji's eyes, courtesy of his beloved girlfriend, and that concept would have been the diamond… the best of Haku's flawless conceptions. 

But, while Haku had thought amusingly of Chihiro's furious and disappointed reaction against her best friend, Haku couldn't help but feel a strong pang of guilt. Just as much as he wanted to see the so-called "pleasing" look on Chihiro's face when she found out about this secret, he felt awful because of one primary reason: Haku knew that Chihiro would be in an ultimately miserable state after hearing such disheartening things. Though this misery and hatred wouldn't be directed at him, Chihiro would be undoubtedly bitter and disappointed at Koji.

No doubt that even though the resentment wasn't towards him, Chihiro would not be able to fully enjoy the precious time they'd spend at the Spirit World… as long as this matter was on her mind. Haku shook his head in disagreement; he promised to himself that he would make sure that Chihiro would have the time of her life. In his mind, he believed that it wasn't fair or considerate to make his girlfriend worry about him during her limited time at the Spirit World. Haku would just have to wait after the visit to the Spirit World, before he would finally spill the _truthful _beans to her.

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_Two and a half hours later…_

"Haku… is there something bothering you?" asked Chihiro softly, putting two of her gentle fingers under his chin, slightly lifting his head up. His hazy, bluish-green eyes immediately met his love's sparkling, but concerned, cinnamon eyes. 

The three friends surrounding the dining table waited silently for his answer, as they all noted to themselves of Haku's _very _peculiar behavior. Almost instantly, Haku diverted his stare away from Chihiro's worried eyes, unable to look directly at her troubled stare. Haku felt truly guilty for keeping such a secret from her; he knew that Chihiro had been asking him what was wrong for the last half hour… out of genuine concern. He knew that he was acting out of character ever since he got home, and he was awfully sure that the others caught onto his hidden worries by now. But, even still, Haku would not tell her the truth… until the time was right.

"I'm… I'm fine, honest!" Haku choked out nervously, knowing that his acting skills were absolutely shameful; he literally had _zip _talent when it came to lying. His unsure and questionable words raised the unconvinced eyebrows and the incredulous stares from the three of them; him and his secret were done for.

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_A few minutes later, a fuming and thunderous voice resonated all over the once peaceful house…_

"HE DID WHAT?!" Chihiro shrieked furiously, tightly grabbing the now crumpled cloth of his plain white shirt. Haku immediately made a small choking noise, as Chihiro cut off any sort of air circulation he once had; the poor boy.

"He… err… followed me to the in the Feikoru Forest, and attacked me… from behind…" he spluttered out, trying to loosen the deathly-like grasp Chihiro had on his shirt. To his incredible luck and relief, Chihiro finally released him from her stone-solid grip. The only problem was that it resulted in the unknowing boy to fall hard on his backside, increasing the physical pains on his sore body.

Haku mentally noted to himself to _never _anger Chihiro again; she was _absolutely _terrifying when she was thoroughly pissed. Who ever knew that such an innocent and gentle angel could have such an uncontrollable and violent rage? 

The young male moaned softly in pain, supporting himself with his hands, as he got up from the wooden floor. Haku rubbed in backside slowly, trying to relieve the acute pains, slowly backing away from his own girlfriend simultaneously. Just as much as she _looked _like she was finally learning to calm down, physical appearance could no longer be given full credit… when it came to predicting the _interesting_ things that she was capable of. Unfortunate for poor Haku though, he had to learn of this fact… firsthand.

Chihiro watched from the corner of her eye, as Haku slowly backed away from her. _'So that's how he wants to play, is it? He's stupid to think that I'm not going to catch onto his plans. He won't get away from my clutches that easily; I'm not done with him yet!' she thought to herself. Before Haku knew it, Chihiro made her unexpected advance and punched pitiful Haku in the stomach… _hard_._

Haku plummeted to the floor knees first, grasping at his stomach again, as he closed his eyes in much pain. _What the hell did she think she was doing?! _Haku tried his best to catch his breath, after that tremendous impact had knocked out all of his breath. The unfortunate male let out a small moan of agony, still experiencing the aftermath of her violent fist.

On the other hand, Chihiro beamed happily at Haku, smirking triumphantly at her own innovative work. She put both of her hands on her hips, and made a taunting, reprimanding clicking with her tongue. 

"Hmph. Will you quit whining about your wounds already? If you think that punch was bad, just wait until you see me _really _angry! And besides, it was _your _fault for being dishonest with me to begin with! If you had only told the truth in the first place, instead of covering up your secret with lies!" she chided, pointing an accusing finger at her own boyfriend.

Haku retorted angrily, still trying to get his explanation through to his hard-headed love. "I told you already, it wasn't like I wasn't going to you the truth later on! I was going to tell you about this… _eventually…" Haku made an emphasis on the last word, hoping that Chihiro _finally _got his point. But… that was _highly _unlikely._

Chihiro snorted mockingly at Haku's supposedly "truthful" confessions. _Stupid liar! I bet he wouldn't have confessed the secret if he had the chance! "Oh please Haku; I'm not __that dense! You might be able to pull that trick on some stupid ditz, but not me! Yes, I admit that it was wrong of Koji to attack you like that… and I will also deal with him accordingly, once we get back from the Spirit World. But that does _not _give you any sort of accuse to lie to me in the first place! It was __obvious that you had __no intentions of telling the truth… if it wasn't for the fact that everyone caught onto your __horrible acting skills! You are such a liar!" she shrilled confidently, giving him a most disappointed look._

Haku sighed; it seemed that she was just as hard-headed as he was. Just great. "I'm not a liar, and you very well know it!" exclaimed Haku, feeling slightly pained… and yet awkwardly amused, by Chihiro's absurd accusations.

Chihiro rolled her eyes and continued with her verbal bombardments, dismissing anything that Haku had said to her in the last couple of moments. "Not _only are you a liar, but you're a… a…" Chihiro paused for a moment, trying to think of a perfect word that would represent Haku. "A bastard!"_

Chihiro watched as Haku registered this new accusation, with the widening of his eyes, before an unfortunate silence filled the room. All of a sudden, Haku did the one thing that she would have _never _expected in a million years; he laughed _at _her! Her sinful boyfriend actually had the audacity to laugh at her!

The pretty girl glanced at the now tearful, but highly entertained, boy in front of her, who was now holding his stomach… not from pain, but from an uncontrollable laughter. _'What the hell did he find so funny about my insult?! He shouldn't be the one laughing; it's his fault for starting this whole argument to begin with! And yet, he still managed to laugh at me, when I've been righteous and honest all this while. Haku just gets harder and harder to comprehend nowadays…' _she mused silently, not like being the so-called "star" of the joke. This was embarrassing… and not to mention, degrading.

Haku's once booming laughter was now reduced to an amused chortle, as he realized the serious and deathly expression that shadowed Chihiro's face. He sighed mentally. The boy couldn't help the laughter that exploded from within him; that was just the most _absurd _claim he had ever heard of! Haku knew that somewhere inside, Chihiro was seething… and trying to find more innovative and effective ways of torturing him in the near future. It was obvious that his laugh didn't help the already tense situation; she wasn't very pleased his with reaction. After all, who liked to be laughed at?

He smirked slightly, planning evil things in his head; this would be the booming start of… _Mission Possible: Annoy Chihiro_. "I, for one, feel so insulted! To be called a bastard… such a _low hit to my manly pride! But then again, you'll get a little something from this too. If I'm a bastard, I guess you'll have to bear with having a _bastard_ boyfriend… oh, the horror!" teased Haku, putting his hand to his forehead in a most dramatic display. Chihiro wasn't pleased at this fresh, cocky Haku… who replaced the once kind and caring boyfriend of hers. Ugh, this certainly wasn't her day._

"You… you…" Chihiro thought briefly, trying to think of some _decent comeback. She found none, and cursed aloud in pure frustration and defeat. "Damn it!"_

On the other hand, Haku chuckled softly at Chihiro's frustrated form… his plans _always worked! He walked behind Chihiro, and slipped his hands at her waist lovingly… resting his head on her right shoulder. "Finally losing your touch, eh? About time too…" he cooed in her ear jokingly. He grinned mischievously, knowing full well that their argument was coming to an end; it always seemed that they could never get angry at each other for long. _

As predicted, Chihiro leaned into his chest… and gave out a small sigh before apologizing. "I'm sorry about that Haku. I never meant to get so angry. But, it's just that sometimes… you make me so frustrated that I can't control what I say or do! You could have just told me the truth to begin with… I would have understood."  

He nuzzled his nose affectionately to her soft face, a genuine smile on his face. Nice and considerate Chihiro was _much _better than the angry and frustrated one. "I'm sorry too. I know I should have told you the truth to begin with, but I didn't want to frustrate you before our visit to the Spirit World. I knew how much you _really wanted to go there… and I wanted to make sure that everything would be perfect. Can you forgive me?" Haku confessed, praying that he would understand his previous intentions… and forgive him for his sins._

"Oh, of course, Haku. I'll always forgive you… as long as you stay true and honest to me. Somehow, a part of me knew that you always had good intentions… but sometimes, I just couldn't see straight at the time. Haku… thank you for thinking about me first…" Chihiro whispered gratefully, turning to face Haku as she gave him a heartwarming hug. 

The couple stayed in this position for some while, until a small cough was heard coming from the narrow doorway. Almost instantly, the couple broke off their hug… reluctantly, both tinting pink because a certain female had caught them in an intimate and passionate act. Rin, seeing this positive development, smirked inwardly. How romantic.

"I'm glad that you two have finally forgiven each other. It just wasn't right seeing you two fight; you're both meant to be together. Call it my accurate and dependable instinct. Now… enough of that loitering, and let's get to the Spirit World!" Rin declared excitedly, slowly walking through the doorway she once came from, motioning for the couple to follow her.

The couple, now hand-in-hand, obediently followed Rin out the doorway… relieved that their conflict was rid all problems. The attractive male tugged slightly at her girlfriend's hand, as she stared up into his twinkling eyes. 

"Hmm… what is it Haku?" she asked curiously, perking up one eyebrow in question.

He flashed her a wicked and foolish grin; something told her Haku was planning something not-so-friendly. Once making sure he got her full attention, he asked a most _interesting _question… "Just wondering… do you still think I'm a bastard?"

Almost immediately, Chihiro slapped at Haku's arm playfully… rolling her eyes in an amused and amiable way. "Oh… HAKU!"

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**Another Author's Note: **Hiya, everyone! Hopefully you found this chapter to your liking! I was briefly reading some of my previous chapters for inspiration and ideas, and I've realized how dark and dramatic this story as become. Not that having too much drama is bad or anything, but it'd be nice for some of the characters to _actually _be happy for once. I don't like my characters to be utterly miserable for the _whole story. LOLz. I'm not _that _cruel to the characters when it comes to my writing. Well… read and review! Until next time, see you! _


	21. Your Beautiful… Aqua Depths

**Undying Love – Your Beautiful… Aqua Depths**

**Author's Note: **Hihi, everybody! Here is another update! I'm trying my best to update the story as much as possible… since I'm on winter break right now. I'm _really _excited today… because my story has _finally _reached 40000 words! *smiles happily* Anyways… I do hope to have this story done soon, with at _least _60000 words… hopefully. I really do hope that you like this chapter… you'll find it to be quite… _interesting. *grins evilly* Please make sure to read and review! *wants to hear from_ all _of you*_

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**Special Author's Notes - aiyna: **To aiyna, I read your review the other day… concerning the spelling of one of the characters. I actually researched the spelling of every single Spirited Away character's name that I used in the story… and though in the Spirited Away movie… the character Rin/Lin is pronounced as "Lin", the spelling of this character is actually "Rin". So no, I actually spelled her name "Rin", on purpose… because after researching it, this is what I found to be the real and correct spelling of this character's name.

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**Chapter Dedications: **I dedicate this chapter to the following people who have added me to his/her Favourite Authors list: Vegeta-and-Maria, SilverStarWing, Ravengurlie149, Kirara1, Millenium Spirit Of Shadows, Magik Bunny Ball, CoolCat10, Sesshochan1, ditterdums, faye-faye14, alannalivandra, sweet-genie-16, Meiko M, Vireyda Magodaly, Ringtir, Sakura-Star3, FluffyLuver4Eva, Tael95, SARSinjection. x, Ravenessa, khelen, Arlibie, xoxLoveWhorexox, darkmidnightgoddess, and FuzzyFanFicFreak!

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The young couple was walking behind Kamajii and Rin, hand in hand. The close group of four left the cozy townhouse about ten minutes ago, taking their sweet time to walk in the vast forest that shadowed the doorway to the Spirit World. The night was just right for a nice walk; the temperature wasn't too cold or too hot, and the skies were beautifully clear, making the stars stand out and sparkle more than usual. This night was absolutely perfect.

Chihiro leaned into Haku, who currently had his arm wrapped around her slim waist. The young girl sighed softly, taking in the beautiful and exquisite sight above her. Haku, who heard Chihiro's breathy sigh, glanced to her in slight concern.

"Is there something wrong, Chihiro?" asked a curious and worried boyfriend.

"Hmm? Oh… nothing, nothing at all! I was just taking in all of this pretty sight today… don't you think it's breathtaking?" commented a captivated Chihiro, who took another exciting glance around her surroundings.

"Heh… I'd definitely agree with you on that. Even the stars in the Spirit World aren't as pretty or as bright as this. But… even the stars here and in the Spirit World don't compare to the inner and outer beauty… that you possess…" Haku confessed lovingly and truthfully, making Chihiro tint with a light pink on her cheeks.

She giggled; Haku always had a special way that made her all warm and giddy. Chihiro took both of her hands and linked them with his, giving them a light squeeze. The young girl rubbed her flushed and smooth cheeks against her boyfriend's, letting out another relaxed and satisfied sigh. Everything felt so right; Chihiro didn't want this perfect moment to end.

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Ten more minutes had passed, and the two of them were lying on the grass, looking up at the stars. Chihiro had strongly insisted on resting a while in the dark tresses of the forest, to fully appreciate the spectacular sights that the sky had to offer today. The couple stayed behind, while it was unanimously agreed that Rin and Kamajii would go on ahead… to the Spirit World. Plans were already made for the four of them to meet in Rin's bedroom, where Chihiro would be staying overnight. 

Chihiro and Haku were lying side to side of each other, their bodies touching slightly. The couple blushed faintly at the somewhat intimate contact, but appreciated and enjoyed the fact that they were able to spend more quality time with _only _each other's company. Even though the night was quite chilly, and the both of them were dressed lightly, the couple was still warm from the share of each other's body warmth.

"Mmm… do you like to stargaze, Haku?" asked the attractive brunette, who now turned her body so that her stomach was flat on the ground. The peaceful and dreamy boy diverted his lingering gaze on the stars to his girlfriend, who was waiting patiently for his answer.

"Stargazing? Yeah… I've developed quite a strong liking for it over the last couple of years. I'd always do a little stargazing now and then… when I needed to take a break from work… or just from life's problems. I…I know this may seem kind of… awkward, but for some reason… looking at the bright and beautiful stars makes me feel… at ease…" Haku exclaimed softly, a small smile creeping up his flawless face.

"Oh no, Haku! It doesn't seem awkward at all! In… in fact, I kind of felt the same way too…" Chihiro whispered knowingly, propping her subtle hands under her head. 

"You… you do?" asked the young boy, surprised at Chihiro's unexpected confession.

"Hmm… yeah. In fact, it's kind of funny, you know… how I first got into stargazing into the first place…" she chuckled quietly, her chestnut eyes radiating a warm, but mysterious aura… that not even Haku could identify. Haku had the distinct feeling that whatever she wanted to say was very personal and sensitive to her.

Chihiro gave a somewhat hesitant glance at Haku, as if to ask him if he really wanted her to go on with her conversation. Haku nodded his head, acknowledging her to continue her explanations. Chihiro sighed softly, and paused in uncertainty… before resuming her conversation.

"Well… I first started stargazing two years after… after that day in the Spirit World…" Chihiro whispered softly, immediately catching Haku's attention. She noticed the curious and worried expression on Haku's face, and closed her eyes… as she continued her explanation. "You know, when I first got out of the Spirit World… you know what I thought? I… I thought that everything either had been a dream, or some shear figment of my imagination. The idea of the Spirit World caught me as some unrealistic fantasy at first; I thought I had lost my mind…"

"Chihiro…" Haku murmured quietly, his eyes downward and his expression solemn and sorrow. He took Chihiro's small and fragile hands into his own, giving them a light squeeze. She gave her boyfriend a small smile, as Haku gave her the reassurance and comfort she needed to go on.

"As the weeks passed by… I tried to convince myself that the whole experience wasn't real… that you weren't real…" she trailed on, giving Haku a most guilty glance, before looking down at her hands. "I never wanted to forget about the Spirit World… or about you; meeting you _truly was the greatest moment of my life. But without your presence, I felt so lonely… I felt so much pain and doubt in my heart, thinking that there was a chance that my feelings would never be returned… or that you might forget our promise as time passed…"_

"You know I would have _never_ forgotten our promise… regardless of the circumstances. Chihiro…" Haku murmured sweetly, giving her a loving kiss on her forehead.

"I know that… but still Haku, I… I did have my share of doubts. How was I to know that we would be reunited someday? Fate and destiny were always so unpredictable… and there came a time that I didn't want to risk the chance of being hurt so badly. So… I went into self-denial… trying to wipe those special memories from my mind. But… I was… I was just fooling myself. No matter how hard I tried, I knew that the Spirit World was real… that you were real. I tried to be a strong girl; I didn't want my friends and family to worry about me… I wanted to deal with my problems on my own…"

Chihiro sighed quietly, and played with the silky strands of her hair… before continuing again. "And then… I realized that trying to forget you was virtually impossible. I couldn't forget you… you were my first and only love. So every night, I would dream… and just hope that you would return to me someday. But as I waited… those long hours turned to days… then to weeks, and months… and finally, two years had passed. I had so many friends at the time, and it seemed that I should have been happier in life. No matter how hard I tried… the empty hole within me could only be filled by you…"

"Chihiro… I swear that if I knew… I would have tried coming to you earlier…" exclaimed her boyfriend, a huge amount of guilt playing on his features. '_I caused her so much pain…' _he thought sadly. _'No one deserves to go through that pain… especially an angel like her.'_

"I know… I know you would have. It's just that so many years of waiting… and I had lost much of my hope and faith for your return. So from then on, I would come to this forest at night… to this _exact _spot… and I would spend hours at a time, just looking at stars. Every time I looked at the stars, I always would comfort myself with the idea that perhaps; in the Spirit World… you'd be looking at the same stars too… thinking of me as much as I think of you…" she said softly, staring at the stars once again in silence. Haku… seeing the hurt that was playing on her readable eyes, took his hands and turned her head… making their eyes meet once again.

"Chihiro… even throughout all of these years, I never forgot about you. There wasn't a time when you were plaguing my mind; there was never a time where I didn't want to comfort you from the pain and sorrow you felt without me. I know that I can do nothing to change the past… but now that I'm here, I am here for you. I will always love you Chihiro… no matter what…" Haku murmured affectionately in her ear, watching as Chihiro's cinnamon eyes moisture from happiness. 

The young girl placed her arms around her boyfriend's neck, pulling him closer to her. Now only being an inch away from her other, Haku and Chihiro held their breath for a second… getting lost in the love and comfort that was evident in their eyes. Haku's lips met with Chihiro's subtle and gentle ones, as the both of them were absorbed in a deep, tender kiss.

As the minutes went by, the kiss had gotten so much deeper… as Chihiro's fingers grabbed gently at Haku's shirt, while her boyfriend's hands were entrenched in her soft threads of cinnamon waves. Intense lust and passion was thick in the air, as the couple continued to show their undying affections for each other through their kiss. Both of the star-crossed lovers continued to kiss under the moonlight… as they both thought to themselves: _'I love you.'_

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The young couple was walking towards the grassy fields, heading towards the cluster of lights that could be seen from so far away. Even from hundreds of meters away, the magnificent and vibrant array of bright lights could be pointed out without any exerted effort needed. Haku and Chihiro continued walking, or more like… running, across the fields. If anyone happened to have spotted the couple at this moment, it was obvious to see that the male youth was having a most difficult time keeping up with his agile and hyper girlfriend.

"Chihiro… Chihiro… will you please _slow_ down?!" exclaimed a tired Haku, panting loudly due to his enormous lack of breath… courtesy of his own girlfriend.

Chihiro scratched the back of her head, before looking at Haku with an apparent, but small, frown. "I wasn't going _that fast. Besides… I don't want to waste any time! I want to visit the bathhouse and the workers… right __now!" whined a hyper and joyous young female, taking his hands and jumping up and down in a little __too much enthusiasm. __'Okay… she's really, really starting to scare me…' thought a certain, worried male._

"Look… the bathhouse and the workers aren't going to fly away any time soon. We don't need to rush… after all, we have _all_ night to get there…" commented Haku, pointing out his side of logic… which, in his opinion, was the more reasonable course of action.

"I don't want to spend the whole night _just _getting there. I want to get there _now_, and then spent the rest of the time doing something _useful and _fun_. Trust me, hours of constant walking isn't fun…" retorted a confident Chihiro, grabbing Haku by the arm once again… as she started sprinting like the wind to the direction of the lights. _

_'Stubborn cow...' _Haku told himself amusingly, though the word "cow" hardly was suitable for describing someone as physically beautiful as Chihiro. _'You'd think she'd listen to my thoughts of reason instead, with her innocent and intellectual look. Damn… she's as hardheaded and tenacious as me!'_

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_About half an hour later…_

Chihiro had been staring at the bathhouse in front of her for some time; things certainly had changed. Even though she wasn't _that picky on details, she could definitely tell that many things had happened in the bathhouse while she was gone for all of those years._

Just simply by looks, the bathhouse was at least two times larger… perhaps three. Not only that, the walls had been repainted to have an elegant silvery-white look, and the door and windows were framed with a shiny blue color. Though the bathhouse was mainly painted with two colors, the simplicity of these colors made it have some sort of stylish and pleasing allure. 

Chihiro also noted of the bridge behind her; the wooden boards were painted silvery-white, while the railings were of that shiny blue hue once again. She silently thought that the person… or spirit, to be more exact… did a _very good job on the paint job and the overall design of the area. The bridge and the bathhouse both complimented each other; things were looking _very _good here._

The young girl also noticed the beautiful white lanterns that hung from the bathhouse's roof. As Chihiro stared at the lanterns a little longer, she realized that inside each contained a bright blue flame. Though the flames were somewhat small, the lanterns lit up the place very well; it seemed that the blue flames were more effective in lighting, compared to the light bulbs used in her world. Not only that… but the light radiating from these intense, sapphire flames were absolutely stunning; she never anything like this in her entire life before.

Lastly, the young girl took note of the various workers there… she noticed that the workers really weren't different from what she last recalled; she could only see the Yuna and Aogaeru. Sure, there were certainly more workers than before… but for the most part, the workers seemed to dress and work in the same fashion as they used to. _'It seems like some things don't change after all…' she chuckled happily to herself._

Chihiro sprinted alone into the bathhouse anxiously, wanting to see how the bathhouse looked. Though Haku told her not to run off too far, she knew that she still would have a couple of more minutes before Haku would return from his meeting with Yu-Baaba. She sighed calmly, taking in the scenery around her. _'Just like good old times…' _she told herself, a small smile creeping on her beautiful face. _'I wonder where Rin and Kamajii are; Haku and I are going to meet them in a couple of minutes…'_

As Chihiro took another step in the bathhouse… the unknowing girl didn't notice the wet, slippery floor that she stood on. Once her open-toed sandals came in contact with the water still on the wooden floor, Chihiro instantly lost her footing… unable to balance herself. The worried female closed her eyes in regret, waiting for the impact of the hard planks to make contact with her back. 

Chihiro closed her eyes for a couple of more seconds… and finally realized one thing: she wasn't falling. _'Huh? What's going on?' _Chihiro asked in her mind, wondering why she didn't feel the wooden floor hit her back. Chihiro suddenly noted of the fact that she felt a sort of comfortable warmth around her waist. 

The innocent and curious female opened her eyes… and surprisingly came in contact with the most beautiful blue eyes ever, which were staring worriedly at her. _'Such beautiful… aqua depths…' Chihiro noted in admiration. She never saw blue eyes as full and lively as now; she had no problems whatsoever with staring in those depths all day. Those eyes were absolutely stunning._

"Are you okay, young miss?" asked her caring and concerned savior, giving her a most charming and attractive smile.

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Haku returned from his meeting with Yu-Baaba, only to find that a bunch of the workers were surrounding… something. Even after jumping up with his tall figure, he still could not see what the commotion was all about. As he got closer to the crowd, he noticed that the spirits were having whispered conversations and pointing at… something. 

Haku knew that it wasn't very nice to eavesdrop on other people's discussions, but he was really curious with the uproar; it took a lot for the workers to be worked up in such an excited state. As he focused his hearing on the conversations around him… his eyes finally widen in recognition and surprise. _'Did I just hear them mention… Sen? Oh my god… Chihiro might be hurt!' Haku told himself._

Haku pushed worriedly into the crowd, trying to see if he could spot his beloved girlfriend. Finally… after a few more efforts, Haku had spotted Chihiro… except that she wasn't alone. Haku glared darkly at the arms that were comfortably wrapped around _his _girlfriend's waist… as he looked up to see who the owner of those arms was. Almost immediately, anger and jealousy was registered in Haku's mind… and he wanted nothing more than to murder the blue-eyed boy through means of a most painful and slow death.

_'RAISUKE!'___


	22. Cruel Intentions

**Undying Love – Cruel Intentions**

**Author's Note: **Yay! Another new chapter! *cheers* You'll notice that after reading this chapter… that the main plot has finally picked up. Hopefully, everyone will like this chapter. I've already planned for a couple of more dilemmas, characters, and twists to appear in the future. I'm sorry that this chapter came out later than usual… but there was Christmas, and all of those other family gatherings and stuff… and I was _really busy this week, to say at the least. I'm starting school this coming Monday… so I thought it would be best to at __least release one more chapter before school._

I'll try my best to update _every _week, once school starts. Hopefully, I'll have time to update… even with all of my exams coming up. *grins* And by the way, I would like to thank _all of the people that reviewed over the last couple of days; I'm __really happy with all of the positive input/reviews! Thank you for your support! Please enjoy this chapter… and remember to read and review!_

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**Special Author's Note - demi-god: **To demi-god, I'm a little confused about your review. Could you please re-phrase what you are trying to say? I really like the input you've contributed about my chapters… and it's given me some new insight. But the _last _sentence of your review has left me clueless. Because for one thing… my story isn't rated R… so I don't know how to write you a reply.

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**Special Author's Note - Sydni Nelson: **To Sydni Nelson, I'd prefer if you didn't send me your story through e-mail. I'm not allowed to receive e-mails from people I don't know… since I've gotten quite a bit of viruses from received e-mails in the past. *frowns* I think it'd be better if you just put up your story on FF.net. Even if you think the story needs a little bit of work, I'm pretty sure it's okay to put it up. For one thing, you'd be able to get more than one person's input on your story… 

If you are interested in putting up your story, you'll have to register an account on FF.net. From there, you have to Log-In to your account, and you'll see a blue sidebar on the very left… with various opinions of all sorts. Next, you just click on 'Read Me First', and follow the simple three-step procedure… which will tell you _everything _you need to know about posting up a story.

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Chihiro groaned in frustration, as she made tried to make herself comfortable on the thick, puffy red material… which would be what she was going to sleep on for the night. Sure, she had to admit the fact that sleeping on the floor… which faintly reminded her of the camping trips she used to have with parents, wasn't as glorious as sleeping on her fluffy pillows, warm comforter, and expensive pristine sheets. But… it wasn't like she could have everything she wanted all the time, could she? Being _too _spoiled wasn't such a great thing.

Besides, Chihiro knew that Rin tried her best to find the _best sleeping materials for her… and though the sleeping conditions weren't all that great, she had to admire the commitment and care that Rin had shown for her. Rin was certainly a good friend, regardless of the lack of similarities that they had between each other. _

Speaking of friends, Chihiro's train of thought returned to her original thoughts for the night… which happened to be focused on a _certain boyfriend. She sighed in disappointment and shook her head, still thoroughly disappointed in Haku and his painful words. _

_'How… how could Haku say something… something as cruel and heartless as that, and it was over nothing, too. How could he think so horribly of me? I still don't understand what I did… that was so utterly wrong. Today, I told him I loved him… wasn't that enough to prove something? Oh… how will we ever face each other now, when he's already made me cry?' _Chihiro thought to herself, hugging her legs, which were closely touching her chest. She sniffled; this was going to be a _long _night.

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_A few minutes later…_

Rin kept her obvious stare on Chihiro, as she had watched an array of emotions playing on Chihiro's features for the last couple of minutes. Rin wasn't stupid or blind; she knew that something was _definitely _going on between Chihiro and Haku… something negative. Rin wondered what was bothering her best friend; Chihiro and Haku seemed more than fine when they were being left all alone in that dark, but beautiful, forest. Could it have to do with that commotion downstairs, two hours ago?

"Hey… Chihiro, could I ask you something? That is… if it is okay with you…" Rin exclaimed softly, making sure to choose her words carefully… as to not anger or disappoint Chihiro more than she already was.

"Yeah… okay…" Chihiro replied solemnly, though her sadden expression, which represented one who looked like being in a funeral, didn't convince Rin… that Chihiro _really _meant what she said. Rin frowned at this predicament; she knew that it probably wasn't the best time to be asking Chihiro questions. But… it was apparent that Chihiro and Haku weren't talking to each other anymore; something wrong definitely happened while Rin wasn't in their presence.

"Well, I notice that you and Haku aren't talking to each other anymore…" Rin commented softly, as Chihiro gave Rin a grumpy and disappointing look that said: 'No, duh… you think?'. Regardless of the serious and unconvinced stare that was blatantly directed at Rin, the female bath worker continued the conversation nonetheless. "So… what happened between you and Haku?"

Chihiro let out a most aggravated breath, before whispering… "Do you _really want to know? Do you __really, really need to know? Because to be honest, I'm not all that up for it."_

"Chihiro…" Rin said in a reprimanding voice, giving Chihiro a concerned and considerate glance. "I know you don't want to talk about this, but if you don't… do you think things will get any better? Look, I consider you my best friend… and since you are my best friend, I take it upon myself to help and support you in times of need and pain. How can I lend a hand if you won't tell me what's wrong?"

Chihiro took a small breath, as she took a few moments to take Rin's words into deep consideration. Chihiro knew it as much as Rin did; Rin was right, things weren't going to get any better as long as she kept the whole situation to herself. Chihiro needed some friendly advice and help from a good friend. "Okay, Rin, okay. Well… the whole thing first started when…"

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_Two hours ago, near the front of the bathhouse…_

"I'm fine." Chihiro replied softly, still entranced by her hero's beautiful blue eyes. "Thank you so much for saving me…"

"Raisuke. I'm Raisuke Usagi." the young man supplied, saying his name with an air of smoothness and elegance, something that was so unlike her own boyfriend, Haku. "And what is your name, pretty lady?"

_'Oh! Bad Chihiro! Bad… bad… bad Chihiro! You shouldn't be thinking about other guys in such a way… much less think negatively of your boyfriend! Oh… what ever would Haku think of me if he found out I was admiring another man?' _Chihiro scolded herself. After all, it wasn't very nice of her to think of other guys… when she already had a boyfriend as wonderful and caring as Haku. _'But then again… it's not like I'm not lying to myself, this Raisuke is pretty… cute, and charming, and… devilishly handsome.'_

An apparent blush crept on Chihiro's lively cheeks, as she thought of the last bit. '_Devilish handsome? What has gotten into me? This is just a guy… nothing more. I shouldn't be acting like a childish schoolgirl, especially since I already have a boyfriend!'_

Chihiro finally ended her… _yummy _and _interesting thoughts there, before replying: "Oh? My name is Chihiro Ogino, but some of my friends call me 'Chi', for short."_

"That's a most beautiful name… but then again, I guess that's just a perfect name for someone as pretty and enchanting as you…" Raisuke flirted shamelessly, as an obvious pink flush flooded Chihiro's flawless face. __

Raisuke gently released the grasp he had on her waist, as Chihiro's sandaled feet touched the wooden floor, which was still slippery. Chihiro gave Raisuke a grateful glance, as he acknowledged her gratitude with the suave nod of his head, before taking her hand and kissing it sweetly. Almost immediately, as if Chihiro was under some kind of spell, she had stopped worrying about how she should act in front of this attractive guy. Instead of pulling back her hand, she giggled at the charming antics of this beautiful stranger, as Raisuke started whispering teasing little phrases into her keen ears.

Unfortunately, unknown to Chihiro and Raisuke, her boyfriend had seen the whole thing. It was one thing when Koji, Chihiro's best friend, had kissed Chihiro… but it was a whole new ballgame when his rival… his arch-nemesis, was flirting with Chihiro! Overall, Haku was going to puke; it was a most revolting and demoralizing sight. It also wasn't very surprising that Haku was on the very verge of just proving to Raisuke what belonged to who; after all, how dare he touch Chihiro?! 

Driven by pure instincts, Haku approached the unknowing pair, as he roughly grabbed Raisuke's shoulders, pulling him down to the floor. _THUD! The surprised crowd watched as the blue-eyed spirit slammed to the ground, behind first, on the wooden floor. Ouch… that __definitely had to hurt._

Tragically, Haku's own advances had backfired… as he watched her girlfriend in complete horror and shock. _What the hell is she doing? _Haku stared hopelessly as Chihiro _helped Raisuke get up from the floor, offering her hand to Haku's __rival and __enemy, who Haku loathed with a fiery passion. __Who's side is she on… anyways? As if things couldn't get worse, Chihiro _nicely _asked the blue-eyed male if he was all right. _What's going on here? I'm her boyfriend, the last time I checked! Doesn't something seemed terribly wrong with this situation?__

Afterwards, Haku and Chihiro's eyes met, as the couple stared at each other in silence. Haku crossed his arms defiantly and impatiently, waiting for Chihiro to _finally realize the fact that he was her boyfriend, _not _Raisuke. Haku glanced hopefully at Chihiro, as he saw her mouth open slightly. __'Yes! This is it… Chihiro's finally listened to the call of reason! It's about time she's paid concerns to me, her boyfriend… instead of that arrogant, conceited, self-centered, no-good Raisuke…'_

Sadly, Haku's miracles and hopes were going to take a huge plunge… "What do you think you were doing, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi? Have you gone _mad?!" Chihiro screeched angrily, giving her boyfriend a most disapproving and deathly glance. _'Okay… something's definitely not right about this…' _Haku noted to himself. __'Not only did she call me by my full name… but she even screamed as me! This is bad… very bad.'_

"No, I have not gone mad…" Haku pointed out sensibly, giving Raisuke a long and unfriendly glare, before pointing his accusing finger at the blue-eyed male. "All I'm trying to do is teach a _certain_ someone what belongs to whom…"

Raisuke smirked at this accusation, but knew it was best not to say anything at this time. What didn't come out of his mouth couldn't be used against him… and besides, he knew that being unresponsive to Haku's foul words would just anger his rival even more. Not only that, it seemed like that Haku's own girlfriend, who was undoubtedly the most pretty girl he had ever seen, was taking care of any troubles he would have with Haku. Things couldn't have gone any better.

"And what is that supposed to mean, Haku?" Chihiro asked dangerously, one eyebrow rose in question.

"Well… a _certain, dishonest playboy named Raisuke should back off from what belongs to another person…" Haku spat out darkly, giving Raisuke another death glare. Raisuke gave Haku a most mischievous and smug grin in return. Meanwhile, Chihiro was absolutely fuming at Haku's words…_

"What am I all of a sudden… some piece of property? I don't care what kind of male-dominating urge you have, Haku, but don't you dare include me in this. And that is also no excuse to be shoving Raisuke to the floor in the first place! Apologize to him… NOW!" Chihiro placed her hands on her slender hips, impatiently waiting for Haku's apology.

"No. I'm not going to apologize to someone like… _him_." Haku emphasized the last bit in disgust, before sputtering out angry words and accusations. "And besides… why are you worrying about him, anyways? He was the one who was touching you in _certain _places, which mind you, were hardly innocent. And not only that… you weren't doing anything to prevent those… _advances_. What was I supposed to do… just watch silently as some other guy feels up _my girlfriend? I'm __your boyfriend, remember? Or have you already forgotten?"_

"You are being _so _melodramatic! God… you are treating me like a child again! Look, okay… I admit that _perhaps, in some ways, Raisuke _might _have beenwrong for his… __advances. But, you can't just push other people down without telling them why. And in this case, you should be __grateful to Raisuke… because he was the one who caught me before I tripped and fell to the floor! Besides, why are you even acting like… like _this_? You've been acting so different lately, I can hardly notice the __real Haku that I've been dating anymore! " Chihiro huffed._

Haku seethed in his pool of anger and jealousy… as he watched _his own girlfriend _defend _his rival. _I can't believe she is so blind to… this; how can she not see through Raisuke's act? And to make matters worse… she is also taking Raisuke's side… _"Well… in times like these, I __need to be a __different Haku. Honestly, what do you expect me to do? You've given me no other choice… because it seems like _every _time I turn my back on you, I worry whether or not you are going to be parading with some other guy… like Koji or Raisuke, in this case!"_

Chihiro's cinnamon eyes widen in surprise and shock, before the heavy accusation fully registered in her mind; tears started to flow down her cheeks. _How could he think so lowly of me? I've always been truthful to him… and this is what I get in return? "So that's how you __truly perceive me then, isn't it? I've __always been so honest with you… and yet, all I get are these false accusations in return. How could you think so… so __low of me, even after everything we've been through?"_

Haku watched silently as his girlfriend broke down in tears; one urge of guilt flooded his senses. But just as quickly as the guilt passed into his body, that same guilt left from Haku in a faster fashion. This time, he would not comfort Chihiro… or wipe away her tears. What Haku said was true… and he had no intentions of taking back his words; not after he saw how Chihiro did absolutely _nothing _to stop Raisuke's advances or flattery. And so… Haku forced himself to turn his back on his own love, before whispering the words: 

"I've never wanted to develop _any negative _thoughts about you. But… as much as I want to deny the truth, my eyes tell me differently… and my sight does not lie. I know what I saw… and I meant every word. Even until now, I still have my doubts about our love… and it makes me wonder if you are _truly _the right one for me."

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

"Oh Chihiro…" Rin cooed, as she hugged Chihiro… while more heartbreaking tears tainted Chihiro's pretty face. "I'm sure that Haku didn't really mean those words… he's always so "not Haku" when it comes to Raisuke. Please don't blame yourself or him for this; it's all just a big misunderstanding, that's all…"

"Don't lie to me, Rin. If anyone could read him clearly, it would be me… and his eyes told me everything I needed to know; he wasn't lying about anything he had said… and he did mean every word."

"Chihiro… oh, you know it's not true. You love Haku _very _much… and I know Haku feels the same way about you…" Rin exclaimed quietly, trying to cheer up Chihiro from her gloomy mood.

"I know we love each other… and that there is no doubt about our love; it had… and always will be there. But this argument has truly opened my eyes, and I wonder if dating each other was the right decision. Even with love, it is not enough to save or preserve this kind of relationship… there needs to be some sort of trust between Haku and I, too." Chihiro murmured softly, before saying the last bit of truth in an almost deaf whisper… "Sadly, I believe that there is no sense of trust between us; our love is just _not_ enough to save our relationship anymore."

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

_Across from Chihiro and Rin's bedroom, two attractive river spirits were also conversing… except of slightly different things…_

"I _really do not see what you find so __great about this… this Chihiro, you speak of. I got a real good look at her today, and she looks like nothing more than a stuck-up whore…" an arrogant, feminine voice drawled._

Raisuke smirked at her fiery, red-haired cousin, Hikaru… who had arrived to work at the bathhouse since yesterday. As usual, even after months of not seeing her, she hadn't really changed… she was still a bitchy and envious woman. It was quite amazing, to say at the least, how far Hikaru's ambition and deception could go. Even with Hikaru's sexy and delicious looks, her alluring black eyes, her silky crimson hair, and her rich and reputable family background… she was still quite the bitter and cunning river spirit. And right now, she seemed _absolutely jealous of Chihiro, not that he really cared._

"It seems like someone is jealous! But then again… you _always reek of the foul odor of envy 24/7…" Raisuke taunted evilly, smug with the irritated look that appeared of Hikaru's face._

"Oh please. _Me_… jealous of someone like _that?" Hikaru spat disapprovingly, not even bothering to call the "whore" by her name. "She can't even compare to me… much less make me jealous. Besides, _what_ do you see in her… anyways?"_

"Well, you shouldn't be one to talk. And besides… I could ask the same thing of you. What do you see in some bastard like Haku? Have you forgotten the fact that he is my sworn nemesis, not to mention, that he _already _has a girlfriend? Not that I don't want to get my hands dirty with someone like Chihiro…" Raisuke exclaimed cockily, licking his lips eagerly.

Seeing Raisuke's actions, Hikaru immediately made a face of disgust; Raisuke _definitely had bad taste. How could he like that slut… and say that she had false opinions of Haku? But then again… it did not _really _mattered whether or not she or Raisuke was right, after all, Haku and Chihiro were both dating each other; they were _both _taken. Hikaru frowned at this detail with a great dislike; that slut didn't even deserve Haku… that Chihiro simply wasn't good enough to satisfy someone like Haku. Oh… if only Haku was single, then someone, such as herself, who was __way more superior to Chihiro, could have her own chances with Haku…_

"Oh. My. God! That's it!" Hikaru squealed maliciously, rubbing her hands together.

"What's 'it'?" Raisuke asked boredly, wondering what new, sadistic ideas Hikaru conjured up now. 

"I've got the _perfect _plan to split up that slut from _my _Haku!" the red-head professed confidently, grinning like a banshee. 

"Hmm… a perfect plan, you say?" Raisuke asked, interested in what Hikaru had in mind. It was no secret that often, Hikaru's plans were in no doubt… _flawless and __successful… most of the time._

"Yes… a _perfect and __effective plan to split up the "dream" couple, which is another one of my ingenious ideas. But, as you've probably guessed… I need you so this plan can be completed _properly_."_

"I'm not doing anything without a reward. What do I exactly get in return for my _wonderful services?" asked the blue-eyed river spirit, _very _interested in his cousin's offerings._

Hikaru glanced contently at Raisuke, knowing that he would definitely like his reward… "In exchange for services rendered, you'll get Haku's own girlfriend… Chihiro."


	23. Keep the Players on the Game Board

**Undying Love – Keep the Players on the Game Board**

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry everyone. I won't be able to update in the next three weeks or so. I've got about eight projects simultaneously, and each project is worth 30% of my term mark. I've also got a final exam for my extra math class, and a _very_ important unit test for science this coming Tuesday. I've also got a couple of crucial presentations on May 10 and 12, so I have to greatly prepare for them too.

I truly apologize for not being able to update. I've already greatly cut down my time at Neopets, since I'm on an unofficial quitting status, but my workload from school has prohibited me from updating my story. I've also been working on my projects constantly for the whole weekend… but I'm nowhere close to being finished. Sorry to disappoint everyone. I'll try my best to update _Undying Love _after all of these summative projects are completed, if my final year exams haven't arrived at that time.

If you would like to keep up-to-date with my status, check out my LiveJournal. (A link to my LiveJournal is in my author profile.) I update every day on my LiveJournal… and I'll occasionally talk about the status of my stories there as well. By the way, if you want to add me as a LJ friend, go ahead. I would love some LJ friends who are interested in fanfiction too!

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**Chapter Dedications: **My chapter dedications basically go to _all _of the readers who have recently reviewed my story. I couldn't have gotten the inspiration to continue my writing without you, all!

To be honest, I actually lost a _lot _of my enthusiasm while writing my story to the point that I didn't feel like updating anymore. But then, I read the reviews, and realize that it's worth the hard work to continue writing my chapters. It _really _makes me happy when I read your reviews, and I appreciate the input and suggestions of improvement that some of you have also given me. Thank you so much for your relentless support for this story!

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**Additional Note: **Along with a new chapter of _Undying Love_, I've also written a one-shot, Romance/Angst fanfic called _Falling_. It's an Inuyasha one-shot, mind you, and contains the Inuyasha/Kagome/Naraku love triangle. I'm planning on writing an Inuyasha story once I've completed _Undying Love_, and I decided to write _Falling_, sort of as an experimental fanfic, if you will. I'd appreciate it if you took a look at _Falling_, as well. I _really _need some input as to how I can improve writing my Inuyasha fanfics, before releasing my other new story after _Undying Love_. Thanks for your help, everyone!

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_The next morning…_

In the confines of the quiet bedroom, an awkward blue and white clump sat on the bed, moaning softly. But underneath this weird-looking clump, a beautiful masculine figure could be seen ruffling under the medium-sized blanket, as the tired youth woke up from his few precious hours of slumber. It was quite unfortunate for the boy, that he had to wake up at around 6 o' clock in the morning, and that he barely got any sleep that night…

After a few more minutes, the well-sculptured man had forced himself out of bed, knowing that Yu-Baaba would be further displeased with him… if he was late for work. Haku didn't need to be psychic to know that Yu-Baaba wasn't happy with Chihiro's overnight stay; Yu-Baaba preferred to be appraised of all the things that were happening in the bathhouse, ahead of time.

Haku let out a disgruntled breath when he thought of Chihiro; his mind had been plagued of most unhappy thoughts of her all night. It seemed so long ago when Haku had desperately wished that Chihiro would stay with him forever, in the Spirit World. But now, it was quite clear that he and Chihiro were certainly mixing like oil and water; their relationship was collapsing _very _quickly. What the two of them needed to do was to spend some quality time together, and come to an agreement about their feelings and thoughts of each other…

**---------------------------------**

_A few minutes later…_

Haku quickly slapped on a loose green top on his perfectly-toned chest, and slipped on comfortably-matching pants, taking brief moments to smooth out the wrinkles of his clothing. The troubled boy ruffled his blue-green hair several times, before becoming satisfied with his somewhat rugged look. Haku slid quickly into his wooden sandals, as he took one last glance at the masculine river spirit staring back at him.

_It is time to face her, my Chihiro…_

**---------------------------------**

_Ten minutes later…_

Rin, Chihiro, and Haku were now standing in front of the doorway that led to the human world, staring at it in silence. Rin glanced quickly at Haku, sadly noticing the fact that they both had no intentions of talking to each other… or acknowledging each other's presence, for the most part.

The three of them had been observing the newly-painted doorway for some time, and Rin came to the conclusion that there was nothing more exciting to see about some dark, empty tunnel. If Rin knew any better, she thought that Haku and Chihiro's deep, emotionless stares could have literally burned five-meter holes around the narrow tunnel.

Several more times had passed; the silence was reeked of animosity, and Rin didn't like it one bit. Ever since this morning, Rin had silently noted of Chihiro's lack of spirit and optimism; Chihiro was about as enthusiastic as Kaonashi… and that said a _lot_. It was as if someone has replaced her jolly and fun-filled friend with some detached, motionless doll, who looked like a super, baggy-eyed version of Chihiro, who clearly had a major sleep deficiency.

_'This is so frustrating…'_ Rin thought sullenly, finally deciding to break the silence… "So… Chihiro, what did you think of your stay at the Spirit World?" Rin asked carefully, knowing the fact that there just seemed to be some uncomfortable feeling still lingering between the three of them. _'Maybe that wasn't wise of me to ask such as question…'_

Chihiro wore a grimmer and more depressing look after registering Rin's question quietly. Just like Rin, Chihiro also could clearly notice the fact that there had been a most stern and lifeless shroud that hang around the three close friends. Though the question directed at Chihiro made her feel somewhat uneasy, she still thought that it was much better than that deafly silence… "It was… it was _okay_, I guess…"

Rin's eyes rose in question; Chihiro was a most terrible liar… she was as see-through as non-tinted windows that were polished and washed many times. Besides, Chihiro's uncertain and quiet voice didn't support Chihiro's case; she definitely thought that her stay at the Spirit World was far from okay. Even Haku, who was having a hard time disregarding Chihiro, by deeply admiring the worn-out stones of the doorway in front of him, turned his head and wore a most skeptical, but… guilty look.

Chihiro dolefully observed the question expression that was apparent on Rin's features, and of the guilty mask that her boyfriend wore. _'Even when he is sad, he still looks like perfection in its purest form. I want to tell him so badly that last night's happenings were not his fault… that bygones should be bygones, but last night made me realize that our love is not all it seems to be anymore…'_

"Well…" Chihiro began carefully, before fiddling with her fingers. "I guess it could have been a _lot _better… I mean, my stay at the Spirit World wasn't as good as I expected it to be. There were just some problems that came up during my stay, that I wished never happened… but what's done is done, as they always say…"

Haku glimpsed at Chihiro, knowing that her last meaningful sentence had been meant for him. He too, greatly wished that last night's events hadn't happened at all, but he knew that last night was a test of their love and trust… and they had both failed. But even though he knew that last night's events were partly Chihiro's fault too, he couldn't help but feel remorseful of his actions, after seeing the grave features that played out on her pretty face. It had greatly bothered him that Chihiro and him had a most terrible fight on the day of her first visit to the Spirit World, in _six _years…

"Uh… Rin? Do you mind giving us a few minutes alone?" the pretty brunette asked softly, as Chihiro gave her female friend a pleading look.

Rin switched her glances between Haku and Chihiro, before nodding slightly and leaving the couple in another disturbing silence…

**---------------------------------**

"So… Haku, what do you think we should do about, you know… us?" Chihiro murmured softly, making sure to keep her distance from her boyfriend, who was sitting beside her on the grass.

"We can't ignore last night's events and pretend that things were like they used to be…" confessed Haku, glancing quickly at Chihiro, before diverting his gaze back at the doorway… the doorway that Chihiro would go through in a few minutes, and leave him to his solitude once again.

Chirhio frowned at his blunt response, but knew that_ every _word was true; the two of them could not just let last night be some mere bygone. "I know, Haku, I know…"

"So… what do you want to do then? I know that you and I regret what happened last night. Maybe, perhaps… you can stay another night here, and we can come to agreeing terms about the incid--"

"No, Haku, I can't… and I won't. I don't believe spending more time would do us any good. I need some time to reflect, _alone_…" whispered Chihiro, as she continued to play with the locks of her silky hair, not bearing to look directly at Haku's eyes.

"I understand, Chihiro. I'll give you a week then, and then we can discuss about last nig--"

"Haku, I don't think you understand at all. I want to break up."

**---------------------------------**

Haku was standing silently beside Rin, as he watched out of the corner of his left eye. Both Rin and Chihiro looked near to tears, as the two close friends went into a long embrace. In all honesty, Haku wanted nothing more than to grab Chihiro's small hands into his own, and convince her to stay with him, even though their relationship was weakening. Though Chihiro and him were not at the best of romantic terms, he didn't want to break up with Chihiro…

_'Yes, we did have our shares of differences and fights… but the break up isn't a way to mend our relationship. Even though she may not feel the same way about me anymore… I still love her.' _Haku admitted to himself, as he watched Chihiro heading towards his direction.

Chihiro and Haku were now a hair's breath from each other, as they stared into each other's eyes. The depressed river spirit continued to hold his unbreakable gaze on his lover, while she diverted her eyes from the caring young man, guilty about putting him into such a miserable state.

"Well, I guess this is it…" Chihiro exclaimed slowly, taking one knowing glance at the doorway behind them.

"Yes… it is." Haku said quietly, not knowing what else to say at a time like this.

"Haku… I'm so sorr--"

"You don't have to apologize for anything. I know you thought you were doing what was right for our current situation…"

"Oh Haku. I… umm, do _you _think the break-up was right?" Chihiro asked uncomfortably.

Suddenly, the grass below Haku's feet had absorbed all of his attention, before he confessed… "I never liked the idea of breaking up, especially with _you_, of all people… and I don't think I ever will."

_'Oh Haku, I'm so sorry.' _Chihiro glanced at Haku, ,who was now trying to avoid her gaze once again. Chihiro placed her hand meaningfully on Haku's broad shoulders, as Haku turned to meet her.

Chihiro opened her mouth slightly, trying to find the words that would comfort Haku at a time like this, but Haku's previous words echoed clearly in her mind: _'I never liked the idea of breaking up, especially with you, of all people… and I don't think I ever will.' _Chihiro frowned as the realization hit her; there were no words that she could say that would comfort Haku, were there?

Chihiro pulled Haku in for a hug, startling the unprepared boy, before he returned the hug more than willingly. The couple stayed in that warm and lovingly position for some moments, before breaking apart.

"I… uh, I have to go now, you know… before my parents start wondering where I've been for the last couple of hours…" Chihiro murmured nervously.

Haku sighed, as the last remains of her warmth and love left his body. He so very missed those unexplainable and incredible feelings that they had shared a few minutes ago, and now more than ever… regretted their breakup. "Yeah… I guess it is time for goodbyes, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Chihiro replied softly, before Haku took her hands and squeezed them gently.

"Is there any way I can change your mind about the break-up?" the grim river spirit asked softly, deeply wishing that there was some way to salvage their relationship. "I still love you, Chihiro…"

"I know, Haku, don't you think I already know that? It just makes it harder for me to stay away from you, knowing that you still love me… but I just need some time to think about us, okay?"

Haku nodded his head reluctantly, before releasing Chihiro from his gentle grasp; what else could he have done? He wasn't about to go as low as to force Chihiro to stay with him; she just had as much say in their relationship as he had… "Chihiro… before you leave, I need to know something. Do you still love me?"

"Haku, I… I lov--" Chihiro tried confessing the three important words she could say so easily in the past, but found that she couldn't finish the words. "I… I don't know anymore, Haku. I still feel the warmth spread across my body, or my heart beating faster… when I think of you. I know that I feel something special when I'm with you, but I don't know if that is love… or just another form of lust or infatuation."

An uncomfortable silence befell the couple right after Chihiro said those words. Now that the truth about their feelings was out in the open, the two no longer knew what to do from here. "I think you should go Chihiro; I don't want your parents to get worried…"

Chihiro looked slightly taken aback by the change of topics, but thought that it was for the best at the moment. "Yeah, guess so…" Chihiro whispered, before slowly heading towards the doorway.

"Chihiro?" the young man said softly, as his words lingered in the subtle wind.

"Yes, Haku?" Chihiro questioned, turning to glance at Haku one more time.

"I'll miss you, Chihiro."

Chihiro's eyes widened for a second in surprise, before her eyes soften at his words. "I'll miss you too, Haku."

**---------------------------------**

Haku watched solemnly as Chihiro's retreating form left his view, while she entered the dark tunnel. He sighed softly, starting at the spot where Chihiro was a few minutes ago. _'I already miss you, Chihiro…' _Haku thought to himself, before glancing knowingly at Rin.

"Let's go back to the bathhouse."

Rin inclined her head once in agreement, before slowly following Haku back to the bathhouse. An awkward shroud had encompassed the two close friends, and they remained silent for the next few minutes as they slowly walked to the direction of the bathhouse. No words needed to be said; they both greatly missed Chihiro.

Haku turned his head up, staring at the beautiful and clear, bright blue sky. This morning, almost everything seemed to be perfect, from the lush grass to the gentle breeze. And yet, Haku hardly felt like his day was even remotely close to perfect; he needed someone to share all of today's natural beauty with… he wanted and need his Chihiro.

_'If destiny ever offered to grant me one wish, I would use it to mend all damages to my love life, and to bring back Chihiro by my side. I… I hate being alone… I can't bear to live without her angelic presence; I don't want to return to a life without her. If only…' _Haku told himself quietly.

Suddenly, as if the gods had heard his prayer, a young and loud, feminine voice called out his name. Haku turned only to meet a concerned and panicked Chihiro, as his pupils widen in complete shock. These weren't the prayers he had hoped for, as he stared at Chihiro's depressing disposition. His stomach knotted uncomfortably… he could feel it; something was _very _wrong…

"Haku, something awful has happened!" Chihiro exclaimed quickly, a mix of confusion and fear in her chestnut eyes.

"I don't understand what you mean, Chihiro."

"Haku, the doorway has been… sealed, somehow. I can't get back home."

**---------------------------------**

Meanwhile, a red-haired female peered at the couple from afar, chuckling in amusement. Her black eyes scanned the brunette, who was notifying her _former _boyfriend of the alarming morning happenings, before the beautiful male's eyes dilated as the information processed into his mind. The fiery and clever female's laughs only increased in volume, as she watched the two; her plan had worked like a charm.

_'The players are here, and the game board is set; it's time for the games to begin.' _

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**My Ending Note: **If you don't know already, I've created a one-shot fanfic called _Falling_. I badly want your input on this… since it is my first Inuyasha fanfic, my first Angst fanfic, and my first one-shot… all combined. LOLz. I _really _want to know what you think of _Falling_.


	24. The Obex Murus Enchantment

**Undying Love – The Obex Murus Enchantment**

**Author's Notes: **I hope everyone likes this new chapter! It was a little over four pages long on Microsoft Word. LOLz. Hopefully, you'll find things to be a _lot _more exciting from here on now! I've already finished the complete story outline for _Undying Love_! Heheh. I'm so excited to continue on with the story!

Anyways, I apologize for not updating in so long. I've got eight summative projects, simultaneously, and exams are coming up in June. I just completed one exam, one unit test, and two critical summative presentations during the past week. Busy, busy, busy for me.

Things are _not _getting any better in my school schedule. No holidays this month, except for Victoria Day, and I've got all these projects and exams to worry about. I'll try my best to update this story as much as possible. Now… enough of my ranting, and enjoy this chapter! Read and review!

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**Special Dedications: **This chapter is dedicated to a special friend of mine, Emily! Thanks a lot for _always _reminding to update! LOLz. I don't think I would have been able to update this fast without your support.

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**Please read…**

_I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed my story! Because of everyone's support, Undying Love has finally reached over 300 reviews! I couldn't have reached my goal of 300 reviews without all of your help! (Undying Love has also finally broken the 50000-word barrier!)_

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_Three hours later…_

In the middle of the night, concerned voices from a cozy, well-lit cottage were heard. Looking through the windows of this comfortable home, five figures could be seen talking of an important matter. These five figures were none other than: Haku, Chihiro, Rin, Kamajii, and Zeniiba. All five friends were currently seated around the wooden table, a distinct frown on each of their faces. It was also strongly noted that Haku and Chihiro were sitting uncomfortably away from each other; they had not yet been able to get over their recent break-up.

Meanwhile, the results of the discussion were certainly not improving… "Are you sure that the doorway was completely shut? Are you sure it wasn't just the gate at the human world that has been closed off?"

"Granny… I _know _what I saw…" the brunette said firmly, staring directly into the old woman's eyes confidently. "The doorway was sealed off somehow… the doorway hasn't physically changed appearance, that's for sure. But, even still, I couldn't go through the doorway for some reason."

"Haku, did you check out the doorway?" asked Zeniiba, earning a slight nod from the distressed river spirit. "Is it as I feared?"

"It's worse…" Haku exclaimed ruefully, as concerned and depressed eyes turned directly to him. "This barrier seems to be a result of an enchantment that I thought was already banned long ago… a spell that I've heard about in my childhood days, but have only seen for myself until now. If I'm correct, I believe it is the Obex Murus spell."

Immediately, everyone in the room gasped, and started turning a ghostly white, except for Chihiro. Meanwhile, Chihiro noticed their reactions to Haku's words, and visibly frowned. "I don't understand… isn't this Obex Murus spell just like any other spell? It can be removed, right?" Silence reigned the tense room. "_Right?_"

Sympathetically, Rin glanced at Chihiro's hopeful eyes, and mentally winced at the harsh truth that she was going to say. "Chihiro… only very few have disabled the Obex Murus spell. It had an unquestioned reputation of being one of the most difficult spells to cast, _and _to break. It was because of the Obex Murus' unbelievable magical powers that the spell was soon banned from the Spirit World, in order to prevent spirits from abusing it. However, even those that did break the Obex Murus spell had gone through many difficulties to conquer such a strong enchantment…"

The faint optimistic sparkle in Chihiro's eyes immediately wavered, and completely disappeared seconds later. "But people have broken the spell before! What makes this situation any different? Are you saying that we can _not _disable this spell?" A pause, before the brunette said in a softer voice… "Are you saying that I can _never _return home, Rin?"

"There are ways to disable the spell, but…"

"But what?" asked Chihiro, her heart tightening; she had a strong feeling that there was something more to this spell than she was let on…

"In order to eliminate the Obex Murus, you either have to get the spell's caster to lift the enchantment, or…" Rin paused, taking a deep breath. "…you have to hunt down and kill the only magical source of the Obex Murus; its caster."

**---------------------------------**

_Two hours before midnight…_

Bluish-green eyes faltered after hearing Yu-Baaba's inconsiderate words. "_What? _But have you heard _anything _that I've said in these last few minutes?" Haku said harshly, absolutely appalled by Yu-Baaba's decision. How could she just blow off the Obex Murus spell, as though it was nothing? More importantly, how could she be so cruel to Chihiro? Here he was, asking for her help… and she looked like she didn't have a care in the world. "This is the _Obex__ Murus _that we're dealing with; we can't just ignore it."

The elderly woman's lips had now pursed in an obvious and grim line, and her eyes darkened dangerously. "_Boy_, I think you need a lesson on how to shut your mouth!" Yu-Baaba screeched angrily, fuming at her unworthy subordinate. "How _dare _you put false words into my mouth?! I am your _superior_, and you will _not _question my orders! You, Hikaru, and I will leave _immediately _for Osaka, to investigate on the burning of the capital's sacred temple… and of its possible sabotage."

"_Please…_" Haku pleaded quietly, kneeling on his knees as a respect to his master. "Can you not leave me here, and take Raisuke with you instead? Chihiro needs my help to disable the Obex Murus…"

Meanwhile, Yu-Baaba was completely taken aback by Haku's desperate request. She sighed, her eyes softening just slightly in sympathy at the river spirit before her, before turning back to her papers. "There is _nothing _you can do for her at the moment. You know as well as I do that staying here will not help to serve any purpose to lift the Obex Murus, _especially _when you have no leads as to who is the spell's caster."

"I…" A hesitant pause, before Haku continued… "…but Chihiro also needs my emotional support. She's going through a tough time right now."

"_Haku__…_" Yu-Baaba exclaimed sternly, not leaving a space for questioning. Her sympathy in this matter had certain extents. "She has Rin and Kamajii here, and I think that enough more emotional support than she needs. You, on the other hand, we cannot spare. Osaka needs us this instant, and you and Hikaru have both studied the art of fire magic under one of the most prestigious fire wielders in the Spirit World. Raisuke, on the other hand, has very little to almost no experience in this field of magic. If the burning of the temple is indeed a result of sabotage, as predicted by many, the elders at the capital may be in serious danger."

Haku stared at Yu-Baaba quietly, processing what she said. It was _true_; it wasn't like Chihiro _really _needed him. After all, she still had Rin and Kamajii here. On the other hand, Osaka needed his expertise on this important matter… and the elders' lives could be possibly in jeopardy, considering the fact that the temple was near their ancient abode. Raisuke would certainly not be suitable in this matter, since his only expertise was water and earth elements. He would more helpful at Osaka at the moment.

Haku sighed, dejected. Reality was that he also wouldn't be any help to lifting the Obex Murus. As Yu-Baaba had pointed out, he had no traces of evidence leading to a specific caster. There was nothing he could do here, at the moment, to lift the Obex Murus. "I agree to go to Osaka… only on one condition…" Yu-Baaba raised her eyes off the paper in front of her, now staring at her long-time apprentice. "…that I be able to ask the elders for advice on the Obex Murus, _and_ to look through their ancient scriptures on this spell."

Yu-Baaba contemplated for a few moments, before nodding slowly in agreement. "I will talk to the elders once we get to Osaka on your situation…" Yu-Baaba quietly got up from her chair, leaving her unfinished papers on her polished, wooden table. "Now that's all settled… we shall head to the great capital to unravel this newfound mystery."

**---------------------------------**

_Meanwhile, upstairs in Rin's bedroom…_

Chihiro tugged lightly at the purple hair band, before her silky brown strands fell down and traced down her shoulders. Afterwards, Chihiro began to slip into the soft nightgown that Rin had lent her for the night. The brunette didn't feel like staying up as late as she usually did; after all, it was a long _and _tiring day.

After a few more minutes, Chihiro was all ready for bed, already under the plain, thin blanket. The brunette glanced quietly at her fellow friend, Rin, who was almost prepared for bed as well. The older female soon realized that the brunette was staring at her, and gave Chihiro a small smile in return.

Soon enough, all lighting had ceased, as the two females tried their best to get a good night's rest. On the left side of the room was Chihiro, who was moving her body restlessly… busy with depressing and worrying thoughts. '_Would I ever go home? Would I ever see my family and friends again? Could I bear to live my whole life in the Spirit World?_' These were dreaded thoughts that plagued Chihiro's mind. However, on the other side of the room was Rin, who didn't have much luck falling asleep either.

After the two females attempted to fall sleep for the next twenty minutes, both Chihiro and Rin had officially given up; they were not going to get any rest tonight. In the dark, Chihiro could still see her tall friend's silhouette, as she rolled slightly under the sheets to face Rin. Apparently, the two friends thought alike… as Rin turned her body, both females now facing each other.

"Rin…" Chihiro whispered, pulling her knees to her chest. "I'm still a little confused about the Obex Murus. Could you explain it a little bit more to me? I'd like to know what I'm up against."

Rin sighed in defeat. "All right then. But you won't like what you hear…" warned Rin.

"I know, Rin. I know…" An audible sigh could be heard from the curious schoolgirl. "…but I don't want to be waiting for a false hope. Either way, I'll know the truth about the Obex Murus… sooner or later. It might as well be sooner; I don't like unpleasant surprises."

"If you say so, Chihiro…" Rin shrugged. Who was she to decline such a request? "The spell has been around for hundreds of years now, or at least… that's what everyone thinks. What makes the Obex Murus so special is that unlike most spells, the Obex Murus requires a constant and unchanging source of magic. Predictably, this source of magic is the sole caster of the spell. Since the power source must be unchanging and constant at all times, there can _only_ be one caster for the Obex Murus."

Chihiro nodded in understanding. "What does this spell do exactly?"

"The Obex Murus can create _any_ impenetrable barriers and walls."

Chihiro quirked an eyebrow in question; the Obex Murus _only _creates barriers and walls? "I don't understand though, Rin. If the Obex Murus can only form impenetrable barriers and walls, why was it considered so dangerous that it got banned to begin with? I mean, it's _only _barriers and walls, right? The most they could be used for is self-protection, right?"

"The danger is more like what the spell was utilized for, rather than the spell itself. About 600 years ago, there was a huge rebellion… and a full onslaught war between the radical outcasts, and the loyal spirits that supported the elders. The radical outcasts were unpleased with the elders, the leaders of the Spirit World. The rebels demanded change. At the time, it seemed like these rebels were on the verge of losing the battle. After all, about 85% of their original army had been depleted…"

"Yeah… and then what happened?"

"The rebels knew that they were in a no-win situation. As a desperate attempt, their best wizards were asked to form a spell that could create unbreakable barriers and walls. That spell that resulted was the Obex Murus."

"How would unbreakable barriers and walls help them win a war? I can see how that would effectively protect them, but it's no effective means to attack the enemy."

"Not true at all, Chihiro. Not true at all. In fact, they didn't even use the spell to protect themselves. The spell was used to trap their enemies in an enclosed shell. Before the shell was completely sealed off though, they released Zansatsu, mindless, soul-eating serpents, inside this shell. It is said that once a Zansatsu touches you, your soul is completely devoured… and you become a dead, empty shell. Zansatsu are creatures of hell, neither living nor dead; they can't be destroyed. A Zansatsu has no heart or mind; Zansatsu don't think… they just devour any pitiful soul in their paths."

Chihiro did _not _like where this was going…

"Zansatsu were the ultimate weapon… the supreme killing machine. Emotionless, heartless, and almighty powerful; they were a lethal and effective combination in war. Only problem was that Zansatsu took no sides; they could care less if they killed a rebel, rather than a spirit from the opposing faction. The Obex Murus was used to trap the Zansatsu, and the ten of thousands of innocent spirits, who were against the rebels, in an inescapable and indestructible shell." A brief silence overtook the conversation, before Rin took a deep breath…

"The Obex Murus was the key element that created the _biggest_ massacre the Spirit World has ever known."

**---------------------------------**

**My Ending Note: **I hope this chapter has quenched your fanfiction craving. LOLz. Yes, these names do mean something.

By the way, I also got some reviews concerning the first chapter. (Some say that I should change some of the details in that chapter.) I've debated on this issue, and at first… I was planning to re-write it, but I've decided against it. I've gotten a lot of people strongly praising the first chapter, so it's a no-win situation for me. (I can't please everyone concerning this issue with, or without a change.) Therefore, I will keep the first chapter as it is.


	25. Of Cherry Blossoms and Gold Chains

**Undying Love – Of Cherry Blossoms and Gold Chains**

**Author's Notes: **Heya. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I just finished all of my exams and summative projects, and my graduation is coming up. Anyways, I actually had most of this chapter written about a week ago, but I delayed this chapter's release, to make sure that this chapter would flow with the new ones coming up!

Sorry for the slow updates, again. I'm already 80% done on the next chapter, so I'll have that ready for everyone by somewhere between this coming Monday to Wednesday. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Read and review!

**---------------------------------**

_The next morning…_

"Osaka?" repeated Chihiro, confused. "What's Osaka? I've never heard of it before."

"Osaka is the ancient capital of the Spirit World…" a crisp and smooth, masculine voice replied confidently. "…quite a boring topic of conversation, too, I might add. Why would a pretty and lively lady, such as you, occupy yourself over an eight thousand-year-old city? There are many more _interesting _things that we could talk about instead." The seductive blonde wagged his eyebrows mischievously, a foolish, yet charming, grin plastered on his face.

However, flirting was definitely not on Chihiro's list of things to do today; Chihiro still felt so guilty for breaking up with Haku. She would have not broken up with Haku if she saw any other choice… but she just needed to sort out her thoughts and feelings for him lately. She didn't want to live in a fake relationship, if she wasn't true with her love for Haku. Everything was so confusing, _especially _when it came to that mysterious river spirit she had known for six years.

Often times, she would feel undeniable warmth coarse through her veins, just being in Haku's presence. Just seeing those bluish-green pearls stare at her… Chihiro would immediately feel heartstrings pull at the precious and fragile organ within her chest. There was no doubt that she felt something for Haku… something that was more than friendship. But… was this truly love… or something else? She needed to discover that on her own.

The current situation with Raisuke made her even worse; it reminded her of the time that Haku suggested that she was cheating on him, after seeing her and Raisuke together. Everything _always _had to go back to some memory of Haku. It seemed that even after she broke up with him, she could not get rid of the lingering feelings that had once made her instantly fall in love with the sincere river spirit. Those painful eyes… all she could remember were the look in Haku's eyes when she broke off with him; those memories were haunting her. She felt so guilty and dirty… as though being in Raisuke's presence was somehow betraying her trust with Haku.

Chihiro sighed to herself, before unconsciously increased her pace, heading off to the gardens on her own accord. She couldn't take that sickening feeling that she was somehow backstabbing her former lover, by hanging out with her none other than her ex's rival. Meanwhile… Raisuke had been startled by Chihiro's random change of movement, before noting that she had ditched him.

Soon enough, the young male had caught up with Chihiro. "Hey! What's with back there? What did I do wrong?" he inquired, forcing the young woman to make eye contact with him.

Bluntly, Chihiro answered… "Raisuke, I'm just not in the mood for your flirting today."

Raisuke frowned, and suddenly got the incredible urge to curse Haku to oblivion. _'Damn… what does she see in Haku, anyways? Goddamn bastard… he always gets in the way of things, even when he isn't here! I still don't get Hikaru… how the hell is she supposed to split up Chihiro and Haku at this rate, much less get Chihiro to fall for me? It's so sickeningly obvious that Chihiro has strong feelings for Haku.'_ thought the blonde, sourly. "Hey… didn't mean to get all offensive!" Raisuke put up his hands in surrender, before shrugging casually. "It was a joke! I didn't mean to get you all upset; sorry about that."

A few seconds later, Chihiro's eyes softened… and she sighed, before running her fingers through her smooth tresses. Maybe she was overreacting when she ditched Raisuke; was it _really _betraying Haku for spending time with Raisuke? After all, she did consider Raisuke an acquaintance, and Raisuke had not wronged her in any way. Besides, Yu-Baaba did assign Raisuke to give her a tour of the gardens today. Speculating quietly, Chihiro felt guilty for her earlier actions… it was pretty ruthless to leave him behind earlier, _especially _over a joke. "I should probably be the one apologizing, Raisuke…"

Immediately, Raisuke waved his hands in disagreement, and shook his head a few times. "No… I should be the one apologizing for my behavior. It was rude and uncalled for…" the river spirit said in his most considerate voice.

Chihiro sighed softly to herself; why did Raisuke have to be so kind and sincere all the time? It just made her feel guiltier about her previous actions… "Thanks a lot for being so considerate, Raisuke. It means a lot to me. Things just haven't been going good for me lately…"

Raisuke placed a hand on her shoulder, and pointed towards the bench nearby them. "Want to sit down and tell me about it?" asked Raisuke, flashing her one of his comforting smiles. "Trust me… you'll feel better after telling someone what's wrong… _especially _if it's _me_."

Chihiro debated on this, and then gave Raisuke a slight smile. To be honest, she felt a little better already; what she realized she needed was to tell someone about how she was feeling lately. Raisuke seemed to be the caring and considerate type; maybe he was the perfect person to talk to. Besides, the brunette couldn't talk to Rin or Kamajii; Chihiro knew that they were disappointed when she ended her romantic relationship with Haku. Soon enough, Chihiro seated herself next to Raisuke.

"So… what's been bothering you lately?" inquired the curious male.

"…" No response.

"Oh… come on. Would it hurt to tell me what's wrong? And don't pretend that nothing is wrong! There's _something _bothering you, and I'm not going to stop pestering you, until you tell me what's been eating at you."

She sighed at the stubbornness that Raisuke possessed. '_Maybe it would be better to talk to someone. Rin and Kamajii wouldn't understand me; I know they still dislike the fact that I broke up with Haku. Maybe talking with Raisuke is for the best._'Chihiro told herself.

"Promise me one thing… before I tell you…" Her hesitant chestnut eyes met his aqua-blue ones.

"What would that be?" asked Raisuke.

"Don't tell anyone about what we discuss right now, okay?"

Raisuke nodded. "Of course. You have my word… promise."

Chihiro took a huge breath, before starting… "Well, basically… you know about that incident between you and Haku, when I was there?"

"Yeah…" Raisuke exclaimed gruffly, silently seething at the memory, before putting on his best mask of genuine concern. "Why? What about it?"

"Ever since that incident… my relationship between Haku has been weakening. We were getting into more fights, and things just didn't seem the same anymore. I don't know… the love that we had before doesn't seem as strong anymore… I mean, I don't even know if I love him anymore, for goodness sakes! So we… we…" Chihiro closed her eyes; she couldn't bear to say the painful words. Until now, the heartbroken face of Haku was still etched into her mind.

Raisuke raised an eyebrow at this unexpected news. However, inside, he smirked … if he was right about his hunch… his darling Chihiro was as good as his. "What happened, Chihiro?" asked the blonde, lightly holding Chihiro's small hands… giving her assurance everything would be okay.

"…Haku, Haku and I… we… we broke up."

**---------------------------------**

_Meanwhile…_

"You two, stay here. I'll be informing the elders of our arrival."

Two river spirits, one male, while the other female, nodded in agreement. They both watched silently as their superior, Yu-Baaba, entered through the mahogany doors, before disappearing from their sights. Soon enough, the temporary silence had been broken by a single voice…

"So… what are we supposed to do now?" an impatient feminine voice asked, trying to spark a conversation between the river spirit before her.

"We wait." A simple two-word answer; Haku didn't feel like talking at the moment, _especially _with someone like _her_. He was related to Raisuke… and that was bad news all on its own. Haku knew it was wrong hold bitterness against Hikaru, due to her family bloodline… but the Usagi family could not simply be trusted after the family's dark past.

Beisdes, he was still preoccupied with yesterday's events… the break-up… _Chihiro_… the sealing of the doorway… _Chihiro_… the break-up… _Chihiro_… Haku sighed internally; the heartbreak that Chihiro had afflicted at him had not healed yet. The brunette he had known for years had still haunted his dreams, moreover so, after the halt to their short-lasting, romantic relationship. He felt like he was going to crack any second; he had suppressed all of his thoughts and feelings pertaining to Chihiro since yesterday.

He always had the natural talent of concealing his emotions, and it was certainly no exception during the meeting in Zeniiba's cottage. He was sure that Chihiro noticed the tenseness and awkwardness as they sat away from each other during last night's meeting. He closed his eyes; everything felt so different about Chihiro now. Her presence no longer held all that warmth it once had; he could tell that Chihiro was avoiding him. At this fact, it wounded his heart… he was seeing the undying love she once returned to him, parish before his eyes. It hurt so much…

"Haku? _Haku_… you there?" an irritated Hikaru exclaimed. She _hated _being ignored. She had been trying to get his attention for minutes now, and there was no sign of response until now…

_'Oh well.' _Hikaru thought. _'…with his recent break-up with that whore, both of them will be emotionally unstable, no doubt. I can always use that to my advantage, of course. Haku will be mine, and he will only pay attention to me. I always get what I want, and this is no exception.'_

"Sorry, Hikaru…" apologized Haku. "I was just a little… preoccupied… with some thoughts."

_'So I noticed.' _Hikaru exclaimed bitterly in her mind. "It's okay. I sometimes do that myself too!" she said in her most cheerful voice, wincing at the fake, angelic persona she had around Haku. It was sickening to her, _especially_ for one such as Hikaru Usagi. She didn't want to be some tree-loving nun; she was the queen of seduction and lust, not some untainted innocence.__

Haku nodded in understanding at her words, before closing his eyes again. Inside Hikaru's mind, wheels were turning… trying to think of a topic of conversation. She didn't like being blown off by Haku; she wanted this attractive river spirit to notice _her_. "Hey Haku…" called Hikaru, before Haku moved towards her.

"Is there something wrong?" he inquired curiously.

"Oh no… nothing wrong at all. I just wanted to show you something that you might be interested in. Have you ever seen a Flower Bracelet before?" At this question, Haku shook his head to indicate otherwise.

"You have one?" Haku asked, genuinely surprised. There weren't many Flower Bracelets left in the Spirit World, strictly because of the fact that Flower Bracelets were no longer being produced; the special flowers that were used on the bracelet were now extinct. Flower Bracelets were hundreds of years old… and highly prized for their beauty and rarity amongst females. They were, no doubt, one of the most beautiful and elegant of jewelry in the Spirit World.

"Two, actually. I'm wearing one right now, actually. Want to see it?" Haku nodded, before Hikaru immediately pulled up her right sleeve…

On her right wrist, there was a gold chain with alternating purple and white flowers bound to it. The gold chain shined brightly under the light above them, reflecting some of that light back into Haku's eyes, as he examined it. The purple and white flowers were in the shape of cherry blossoms, and each of these flowers had a small, pink diamond in the middle. As Haku stared at the bracelet some more, he also noted that the flowers would occasionally curl up, then spread out its petals, as if these flowers were alive and growing. An estimate, Haku guessed that there were around twenty of those flowers on that bracelet.

"Impressive, mm? I've got another one just like it, except the gold chain is decorated with alternating blue and silver, cherry blossoms…" she bragged. "All of the cherry blossoms on both of my Flower Bracelets have also been personalized with my own emblem, the three-headed snake." She slipped off her Flower Bracelet, and flipped one of the cherry blossoms over.

"Very impressive…" Haku replied truthfully, as he stared at Hikaru's serpent-like crest on the back of the cherry blossom. "Not even Yu-Baaba has one, and yet… you have two. I've heard that there are only roughly ten left in existence. Are they family heirlooms of some sort?"

"Mmm hmm. I guess you could say that, actual--" Before Hikaru was about to finish, a familiar voice interrupted the conversation.

"Haku! Hikaru! Stop that nonsense chit-chatting! We're heading out to the shrine ruins… _now_!" shouted Yu-Baaba in a reprimanding tone, as Haku and Hikaru both followed behind their superior.


	26. Trouble in Paradise

**Undying Love – Trouble in Paradise**

**Author's Notes: **Heya. As promised, I bring you a new chapter! As you can see, updates have been much faster now… since I'm almost finished school this year. I end school next Tuesday!

Anyways, I apologize for this chapter being a lot shorter than most of my chapters. I'll try making my next chapter longer. Meanwhile, I hope you like this chapter… and remember to read and review! Enjoy, and thanks for your patience in my updates!

**---------------------------------**

_An hour later…_

"So what's the Cherry Blossom Festival all about?" asked Chihiro, as she helped Raisuke hang up the various flower decorations on the grassy garden walls.

Raisuke handed Chihiro another basket of cherry blossom petals, before concentrating on how to decorate the entrance to the vast gardens. "The Cherry Blossom Festival is in honor and celebration of the spring season, where ice and snow thaw… and various plants bloom once again. It's to also pay respects to the earth spirits, who are kind enough to bless this world with their beauty."

"Oh… wow. So how long has this Cherry Blossom Festival been going on?" she inquired, reaching into her basket for a fresh handful of whitish-pink petals.

Raisuke shrugged. "I'd say a couple of hundreds of years. It's certainly lasted quite a few generations within my family. However, it doesn't compare in age to many of the other festivals or celebrations…"

Chihiro fiddled with the pretty petal between her slender fingers, staring at it curiously. "But why cherry blossoms? There are many _other _beautiful flowers too…"

"Because…" Raisuke said knowingly, plucking off one of the flowers on the nearest cherry blossom tree. "Cherry blossoms are the favorite flowers of the earth spirits. It is also rumored that earth spirits are reincarnations of dead cherry blossom trees from other worlds."

"I see. So for this festival, will various spirits will be arriving here then?"

Raisuke nodded. "Due to the recent success of the bathhouse, the elders, who are the leaders of the Spirit World, have honored us with the pleasure of holding the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in our gardens."

"Awesome! I'm sure the bathhouse has really deserved such an honor!" Chihiro grinned. "So when's the festival? Two weeks? One week?"

"_Actually_…" Raisuke corrected. "It's being held in two days."

Chihiro's eyes widen at this. "_Two days?!_" she said incredulously. "How will you be able to prepare the gardens _and _the bathhouse in time?"

The blonde grinned at this question, before he slung his left arm on Chihiro's shoulder. "That's why you and I are going to be _beautifying _the gardens all day."

**---------------------------------**

_In Osaka, an elderly female and her two subordinates were currently overlooking the burnt ruins of what once was a sacred temple…_

"This was all that was left of the temple?" inquired Haku, both amazed and disappointed that such a prominent monument was now nothing more than a mere memory. Or more like a barren patch of ashes, for that matter.

Yu-Baaba sighed ruefully. "The whole Osaka Shrine was burned to the ground; nothing was spared."

"So what do the elders think about this?" asked Hikaru, staring at the massive amount of ruins around her.

"After the meeting with the elders, they believe that the burning of the Osaka Shrine was definitely a sabotage…" the elderly woman said sternly, before continuing. "…which is why the elders have sent us to investigate the ruins for any traces that may lead to a suspect."

"Are they sure that it was a sabotage?" Curious heads turned to the redhead. "Is there really no room to consider the loss of the shrine as an accident? I would really like to think that the burning was not a result of the worst possibility imaginable."

"We'd all like to think that, Hikaru. But…" the bathhouse mistress exclaimed gloomily. "…the elders would not have strongly advocated to the strong possibility of sabotage if they saw no other way."

"No other way?" Haku said questioningly, not liking where this conversation was headed.

"Yes, Haku. The elders have made their point fairly clear; the destruction of the shrine was and could only have been the result of sabotage. The protection spell on the shrine had been lifted, and the various magical seals surrounding the structure were broken. This could only have been done purposefully by someone else who used an equally powerful counter-spell…" Yu-Baaba's eyes met those of the red-headed and dark-haired river spirits before her. "Now… let's start our investigation."

**---------------------------------**

Many hours had passed, and the darkness was starting to creep into the sky, as evening had approached. The bathhouse gardens were now coated with the thin sheet of shadow, but nevertheless, the gardens were still beautiful at night. Due to the tedious labor that Chihiro and Raisuke had put in all day, they were finally able to put up the extravagant decorations for the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival. There was no doubt that the amazingly, breathtaking bathhouse gardens were ready for the various visitors and guests in a few days.

**---------------------------------**

_Meanwhile, a blonde and a brunette were seen exiting the gardens, as they headed to the bathhouse…_

"I can't believe that we actually got all of the decorating done…" Chihiro murmured in thought.

Raisuke chuckled, smiling that multi-million-dollar grin of his. "I told you we would get everything done, didn't I?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Besides, it isn't like a really have a choice. Yu-Baaba made it clear to me before she left, that the bathhouse had to be ready when she came back for the festival."

"Yeah, you did. But I'm still amazed we got all the decorating done, especially with_ only_ the two of us…" Raisuke held the front gate open for her like a true gentleman. "Thanks, Raisuke. So… do you think the workers got the bathhouse ready for the festivities?"

"Oh, definitely. The bathhouse workers never fail in their tasks, _especially _when they know that they'll have to face Mistress Yu-Baaba's wrath, if they perform otherwise…" Raisuke visibly shivered. "The last time a bathhouse worker failed to complete Yu-Baaba's demands, there were fumes literally pouring from her nostrils. No one has dared failed her since then."

"If I was them, I wouldn't want to disappoint Yu-Baaba either…" Chihiro exclaimed empathically, biting her lower lip.

Raisuke smirked at the obvious, and let out another hearty laugh, before realizing something wrong. There was a glittery, red speckle that was heading fast towards them…

Immediately, Raisuke's eyes widen in recognition, as he realized what this was. "Chihiro, duck for cover!"


	27. Crimson Encounter

**Undying Love – Crimson Encounter**

**Author's Notes: **Sorry, everyone… for not updating in so long. has been occupied this whole summer Lots of family problems have been happening this summer, and all… sighs Along with a few other things, and my bad case of writer's block.

However, I will try my best to update this story during the school year. Hopefully, once I get back to school in less than a week, I might feel up to the mood to start putting more effort into my writing again.

Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this chapter. (In addition, I'm halfway on the next chapter… and I'll try to see if I can get it up before I start school. I may also do some revision on the first few chapters of the story as well.) Meanwhile, read and review!

* * *

Chihiro turned in Raisuke's direction when she finally registered what he said. _Duck for cover? _Did she hear wrong…? "What are you talking about, Raisuke?"

"Chihiro, behind you!" Raisuke shouted, dragging the confused brunette down with him to the ground.

Soon enough, the pair had heard a whooshing sound slice the air above them. They turned their heads upward, and their worried eyes were graced by the sight of a terrifying, crimson-scaled creature, as it bared its lengthy fangs and prepared to charge at the pair.

The creature before them was of gigantic proportions, roughly around eight meters in height, excluding its tail. Its piercing, crimson scales glistened under the moonlight and its blood-red, slit eyes were staring cautiously at its prey. On the top of its head were three magnificent horns… however, nothing compared to its wings. Its rough, thick wings were twice the length of its body, and it was obvious to see just the godly power within those wings. Its sharp and powerful, black claws were flexing back and forth, and its spiky tail was swinging from side-to-side. This ferocious dragon was ready to start its attack on the two unfortunate souls below.

"Chihiro, move, it's coming for you!" Raisuke warned, watching as Chihiro barely missed those lengthy and swift claws stabbing at her chest. Meanwhile, the lucky brunette glanced frightfully between the dragon and the blonde, her breaths coming in long pants.

The dragon prepared for another attack, as its tail suddenly swerved towards Chihiro, as she quickly dodged the attack. "Raisuke, what's going on?! Why does it keep on attacking me?!"

"Chihiro, I honestly don't know…" Raisuke exclaimed, trying to formulate a quick plan in his mind. Soon enough, the blonde sped towards Chihiro, took a strong grasp of her hand, and sprinted with her towards the ruined shed behind the bathhouse. However, the dragon was close by on the pair's trail.

"Raisuke, are we going the right way? We just passed the bathhouse…" she noted, worriedly.

"I know…" he whispered, staring back at her. "We can't risk getting the other bathhouse workers, injured. They are too weak to fend off the dragon; we're better off on our own."

She nodded in understanding, before asking… "Where are we going to hide then?"

* * *

"Raisuke… I don't think this is such a good idea…" Chihiro whispered worriedly, staring at her surroundings. They were currently hiding out in the dusty, wooden shed, where they were trying to keep the dragon away from the others.

Meanwhile, Raisuke was peeking cautiously through the tiny cracks of the shed wall, observing the dragon like a hawk. "I know, but we don't have much of a choice…" He watched quietly as the lonesome creature began to sniff at its surroundings, searching out for the brunette and blonde a few meters away. "Chihiro?"

Chihiro turned to face him, her eyes in question. "Yes, Raisuke?"

Raisuke kept his back faced at her, not letting his eyes drift from the uncontrollable monster outside. "There's a hidden panel under you. Lift that up and hide under the floor."

"But… but Raisuke, what about you?" asked the brunette, concerned.

"Don't worry about me!" His blue eyes flickered, as he realized that the dragon was fast approaching to the shed. "Hurry and hide, Chihiro! It's almost here!"

Chihiro nodded, and hesitantly obeyed his request. She quietly raised the floor panel, and slid herself into the tight space under the ground. She then proceeded to place the thick panel back to its original spot, and noted the fact that there was only room from a single person in her current hideout.

A voice was heard from underneath the floor. "Raisuke, where will you hide?"

The blonde turned to stare at the chestnut eyes that were peeking out from the small crack in the wooden floor. "I'm not going to hide. Someone needs to stop Crimson, and I'm the strongest here, so I'm responsible for everyone's safety at the bathhouse."

And with that, Raisuke went back to observing the dragon from the thin cracks in the wall, only to find long claws heading towards him.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"I can't believe this!" Hikaru screeched, exasperated. They were searching the ruins all day, and fairly little progress was made in the investigation thus far. "It's been hours now, and we haven't found anything that leads to a suspect!"

Yu-Baaba glared sternly at the voice's owner. "Hikaru, quit your incessant whining!" Yu-Baaba snapped grumpily, tired of the redhead's consistent complaints in the last hour. "We are staying here and continuing the investigation unless I tell you otherwise."

Hikaru huffed at the insults, a distinct frown tainting her facial features as she crossed her arms…

"Mistress Yu-Baaba?" a voice interrupted.

"Yes?" asked the elderly woman, turning to face the shy messenger a few feet away.

"I have a message from the elders…" the messenger paused, opening up the fragile parchment in his hand. "It is unfortunate for the elders to inform you that they have received grave news; your bathhouse has been attacked by a Drayk."


	28. The Prey and the Predator

**Undying Love – The Prey and the Predator**

**Author's Notes: **So sorry I didn't get this up before I had started school. I actually had the whole chapter written and finished about two hours before school started, but I haven't had the time to edit it until now. Anyways… read and review, and I hope you enjoy!

**---------------------------------**

Blue-aqua eyes widen as he saw the powerful, black claws, swiftly sweeping towards his head. Immediately, with lightning speed, Raisuke dropped to the floor, just barely avoiding those claws beheading him. However, the shed was not so lucky…

Right when the pointy claws had made contact with the shed, all that could be seen was the wild dispersal of sharp woodchips. Various pieces of ruined and gashed wood flew everywhere, hitting the adjacent walls, the dusty floor, and Raisuke's skin. It was just luck that the Drayk had not destroyed the entire wall down.

Meanwhile, fearful brown eyes were searching for blue ones, before both pairs of eyes met. Chihiro stared in concern, as the genuine expression in her eyes has silently asked Raisuke if he was fine. Raisuke nodded, and Chihiro let out a small and relieved sigh, thankful that he had not been fatally wounded from the unexpected attack.

Soon enough, a loud crunching sound rang vibrated all over the room, as the pair turned to glance at the winged creature approaching. Meanwhile, the dragon's cold eyes peered at the fallen river spirit on the floor; it was ready to attack again.

**---------------------------------**

"What do you mean the bathhouse got attacked by a Drayk?!" inquired Yu-Baaba, while the four of them, including the messenger and her two apprentices, were rushing back towards the elders' abode. "Drayks only live on the coldest of habitats, on the grand peaks of the Resurgi Mountains! My bathhouse is certainly nowhere near a suitable Drayk breeding ground! Are the elders _absolutely _sure that the attacker is Drayk?"

"The elders have accurate confirmation that the creature is indeed, a Drayk. Earlier today, the elders sent a representative to check on the progress of the preparations for the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival. There are strong claims from our representative that he spotted a Drayk striking at two of your bathhouse apprentices…" replied the messenger.

Yu-Baaba looked perplexed. "Two of my bathhouse apprentices?" repeated the troubled, bathhouse mistress, confused. "I only have three bathhouse apprentices, and two of them are currently with me…"

All of a sudden, Haku gained an unfortunate understanding; he hoped that what he feared had not come true. "What did these two apprentices look like?" asked Haku, frowning.

"One of them was male, with short, blond hair… and the other one was female, with long, chestnut hair."

**---------------------------------**

Once Raisuke heard the sound of footsteps behind him, his breath became shallow. He didn't have to look behind him to know that Crimson was a foot away…

Raisuke clearly noticed the hopelessness and concern in Chihiro's chestnut eyes, before he began to pick himself off of the floor. He was going to make a run for it; he was going to lead Crimson away from the shed.

_'Hikaru… you've gotten too far, this time…' _the blond thought, before making his daring escape.

**---------------------------------**

_Crunch… crunch… crunch… _all that Raisuke could hear was the sound of the twigs breaking under his feet, and from behind him. After Raisuke had distanced himself from Chihiro, and had headed towards the thick forest near the bathhouse, the predatory Drayk had followed him close on his trail. It seemed to be fully unaware that the brunette was hiding under the wooden floor of the shed. So far… part one of Raisuke's emergency plan had worked; he was able to lure Crimson away from Chihiro. Now, he needed to find a way to annihilate the cold-blooded creature.

A few seconds later, Raisuke stopped dead short… after noticing something _very _wrong. He couldn't hear footsteps behind him… there were many things wrong with this situation. There were no indications that Crimson was still making an effort to pursue him…

Soon enough, Raisuke felt a warm breath grace his shoulders. The trapped river spirit closed his eyes and frowned, his own breath hitched in his throat. He was careless, having let down his guard during those precious seconds of confusion, a few moments before. And so, because of his mistake… Raisuke was now left in a most fatal predicament.

Unfortunately, before Raisuke could formulate a plan, the fearsome dragon had slashed right in Raisuke's direction. With lightning-speed reflexes, the blond dived to the floor, watching as familiar claws sliced the air above him.

_Whoosh! _Raisuke immediately rolled over to the right, barely missing the pointed tip of the tail, which had been targeting his heart. _Whoosh! Whoosh! _The unfortunate bathhouse apprentice quickly rolled to the left, and then rolled to right, dodging both of the Drayk's next attacks. Raisuke took a second to catch his breath, before attempting to avoid the long series of vicious attacks that were to follow.

**---------------------------------**

_'Damn... this hurts like hell …' _Raisuke thought sourly to himself, applying pressure to the bleeding wound on his side. Raisuke was swift for a river spirit, but even he had his limits. Raisuke had lost track of how long he'd been in the forest, trying to cheat death, as Crimson stopped at nothing to bring Raisuke down.

After a few steps, Raisuke came to an important decision. Running away was getting him nowhere. _'I can't keep on running… especially with these injuries. I won't last if I keep on losing blood at this rate…' _the blond said to himself.

And with that… Raisuke stopped dead in his tracks… to face himself head-to-head with Crimson, ready to make his stand.


	29. Choosing Loyalties

**Undying Love – Choosing Loyalties**

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been super-busy with school work, and I've had little time to spend on writing this story. I'm really eager to keep on continuing this story, and hopefully… I might be able to fit in another chapter during Thanksgiving as well.

Anyways, I'm predicting that there will probably be around ten to fifteen chapters left, until this story is finished. I'm aiming for the 75000-word mark and 400 reviews, but things never go quite as expected. I apologize once again for the slow updating, and thank you so much for your constant support.

**---------------------------------**

A growl was emanated, as Crimson carefully approached the bleeding Raisuke. Piercing, cautious eyes stared at the blond slyly, eager to get on with the hunt. The alert Drayk could smell the slight stench of fear that coated the blond, and this gave Crimson a most pleasant thrill. Terror and darkness; these were the things that inspired the very essence of this malevolent and merciless dragon.

Meanwhile, Raisuke observed the Drayk with his tired eyes, murmuring soft words in his wake. He continued to do so, attempting to be as calm and collected as possible, as Crimson backed him up into a tree. The blond was trapped, with nowhere to retreat.

Suddenly, Raisuke started to glow in an eerie blue… as he braced himself for the transformation. He was going to fight Crimson with his own claws… the claws of a water dragon.

**---------------------------------**

_Black… pitch black… _that was all Raisuke's eyesight could see, as he continued to go higher into the night sky. Raisuke would have not been able to navigate away from the forest, if not for the small rays of moonlight that ruptured the veil of darkness. The injured dragon continued his ascent, trying to get Crimson off his tail.

Light-headed and dizzy, the transformed river spirit tried his best to ignore the nauseating effects on his body, as the air became thinner and thinner around him. With every meter traveled, Raisuke had become a little farther away from his bathhouse and the surrounding familiar landscape. Raisuke could already feel the unpleasant pain in his head, and he just hoped that Crimson would feel the brute of the airsickness as well. He remembered about the vicious side effects that resulted when Hikaru had been training Crimson to tolerate the dreadful experiences of high-altitude flying. Raisuke just hoped that he would have an advantage over the determined Drayk in this battle.

Without warning, Raisuke had stopped his ascent, afraid that any higher would make the queasiness too much for himself to bear. Meanwhile, Raisuke turned around, noting that Crimson was quickly approaching. In a few moments, the disoriented Drayk was within a minute distance from Raisuke, glaring with its acid stare.

In turn, Raisuke growled menacingly at the presence of his enemy, before swiftly charging at the unprepared dragon. Thick, dark gunk immediately spewed everywhere, once sharp nails penetrated Crimson's stone-hard scales. The scent of blood coated his surroundings, as Raisuke continued to slash into the Drayk without mercy or relent. Howls of agony echoed loudly into the night, as claws went deeper into Crimson's wounded body.

Raisuke pulled back his claws somewhat, before ramming them back into the withering creature. The water dragon smirked knowingly, as he felt his claws dig deeper into Crimson's chest. Raisuke was almost there… so close to the Drayk's most precious organ. All he needed to do was kill the heart, and Crimson would die instantaneously… like any other dragon.

Raisuke smiled smugly, knowing that he had the upper hand in the battle. He winced slightly at the withering creature's retaliation, as Crimson tried to pry Raisuke's claws away with a death grip. Raisuke could also feel the sharp tail that wrapped tightly around his body, as Crimson tried to suffocate him with the last bit of its power. Even so, Crimson was still losing the battle, its eyes fluttering weakly. The dying Drayk was endlessly pouring of blood, and Crimson could feel itself starting to lose its grip on consciousness.

Suddenly, primal survival instincts kicked into gear… as Crimson channeled its remaining energy to remove the fatal claws from its chest. Startled and unprepared, Raisuke was brutally pushed away from the Drayk, before he saw Crimson ram into him with its armored body. All Raisuke could see was blurriness, before the immense and sharp pain pierced into his body. A thick trail of blood was left in its wake; Crimson had vicious bit into Raisuke's neck.

With a shrill screech, Raisuke clutched roughly at Crimson's head, before forcefully removing the Drayk from the bleeding expanse of his neck. Burning with anger and the need to survive, Raisuke wasted no second before he charged at Crimson and shoved his jagged claws into the Drayk's heart. A piercing cry was heard, before silence engulfed the night once again.

_Crimson was dead._

**---------------------------------**

A moan was heard… before two hands gripped on blond strands, gasping loudly at the massive headache that ripped through his head. Blue eyes tried to focus, blinking slowly as he noticed that he was back in the bathhouse. Looking around, the river spirit noticed that he was in the presence of a familiar redhead.

"Raisuke?" a voice asked, before he saw Hikaru walk over to his bedside. "How are you feeling?"

At this question, the redhead earned herself a death glare. Raisuke scowled restless, radiating his _'What the hell do you think?'_ expression. He was not pleased.

The blond wasted no time displayed his discontentment. "What the _hell_ were you thinking, sending Crimson over to attack us? To attack Chihiro?" the blond bit out menacingly, clenching his fists. "Your goddamn Drayk almost killed me!"

Immediately, a finger pointed accusingly at him. "Why do you always have to interfere in everything?! Why couldn't you let my darling Crimson do its job?!" she screeched angrily, huffing. "You saved the bitch… and you slain my most prized pet! You wouldn't have gotten hurt if you just push aside that inflated ego of yours, and stop protecting that slut!"

"Oh… so now it's my fault?" Raisuke said disbelievingly, looking offended and thoroughly pissed. "The agreement was that I'd get Chihiro in _perfect _condition, in exchange to help you win the affections of that _Haku_! You broke your fucking promise! And why the hell did you sent Crimson, anyways? For your _sick_ pleasure, is that it?"

"It's none of your damn business!" Hikaru replied snidely, turning away from him. She had no intention of telling Raisuke about any of her other plans.

"The hell it isn't! Anything concerning Chihiro is _my _business, _especially _since we had that agreement!" Raisuke spat bitterly, before roughly grabbing Hikaru's chin, forcing her to look at him. "If you _ever _try doing anything behind my back again… don't think I'll hesitate reporting you to the authorities! You know as well as I do, that the stupid stunt you tried to pull off with Crimson is punishable by death!"

A wry laughter was heard. "You tell the authorities, and you are going down with me, cousin. Don't think you can just try to blackmail me here. I _always _have the upper hand." Before Hikaru turned to leave the room, she threw a round object to Raisuke, smirking. "And don't think I don't have more of those… where they came from. Remember that if I go down, I'm taking you with me… so you better get your loyalties straight."

In Raisuke's hand was a small, black marble… and he sighed remorsefully in recognition. It was a memory crystal; Raisuke tapped the top of the round crystal twice, before watching the familiar scene play in front of his eyes…

**---------------------------------**

_"I really do not see what you find so great about this… this Chihiro, you speak of. I got a real good look at her today, and she looks like nothing more than a stuck-up whore…" an arrogant, feminine voice drawled._

_Raisuke__ smirked at her fiery, red-haired cousin, Hikaru… who had arrived to work at the bathhouse since yesterday.__ As usual, even after months of not seeing her, she hadn't really changed… she was still a bitchy and envious woman. It was quite amazing, to say at the least, how far Hikaru's ambition and deception could go. Even with Hikaru's sexy and delicious looks, her alluring black eyes, her silky crimson hair, and her rich and reputable family background… she was still quite the bitter and cunning river spirit. And right now, she seemed absolutely jealous of Chihiro, not that he really cared._

_"It seems like someone is jealous! But then again… you always reek of the foul odor of envy 24/7…" Raisuke taunted evilly, smug with the irritated look that appeared of Hikaru's face._

_"Oh please. Me… jealous of someone like that?" Hikaru spat disapprovingly, not even bothering to call the "whore" by her name. "She can't even compare to me… much less make me jealous. Besides, what do you see in her… anyways?"_

_"Well, you shouldn't be one to talk. And besides… I could ask the same thing of you. What do you see in some bastard like Haku? Have you forgotten the fact that he is my sworn nemesis, not to mention, that he already has a girlfriend? Not that I don't want to get my hands dirty with someone like Chihiro…" Raisuke exclaimed cockily, licking his lips eagerly._

_Seeing Raisuke's actions, Hikaru immediately made a face of disgust; Raisuke definitely had bad taste. How could he like that slut… and say that she had false opinions of Haku? But then again… it did not really mattered whether or not she or Raisuke was right, after all, Haku and Chihiro were both dating each other; they were both taken. Hikaru frowned at this detail with a great dislike; that slut didn't even deserve Haku… that Chihiro simply wasn't good enough to satisfy someone like Haku. Oh… if only Haku was single, then someone, such as herself, who was way more superior to Chihiro, could have her own chances with Haku…_

_"Oh. My. God! That's it!" Hikaru squealed maliciously, rubbing her hands together._

_"What's 'it'?" Raisuke asked tiredly, wondering what new, sadistic ideas Hikaru conjured up now. _

_"I've got the perfect plan to split up that slut from my Haku!" the red-head professed confidently, grinning like a banshee. _

_"Hmm… a perfect plan, you say?" Raisuke asked, interested in what Hikaru had in mind. It was no secret that often, Hikaru's plans were in no doubt… flawless and successful… most of the time._

_"Yes… a perfect and effective plan to split up the "dream" couple, which is another one of my ingenious ideas. But, as you've probably guessed… I need you so this plan can be completed properly."_

_"I'm not doing anything without a reward. What do I exactly get in return for my wonderful services?" asked the blue-eyed river spirit, very interested in his cousin's offerings._

_Hikaru__ glanced contently at Raisuke, knowing that he would definitely like his reward… "In exchange for services rendered, you'll get Haku's own girlfriend… Chihiro."_

**---------------------------------**

_'Oh hell…' _the blond thought, hearing Hikaru's fading footsteps, while gripping at the dark marble in his hand. _'I'm screwed.'_


	30. Confessions

**Undying Love – Confessions**

**Author's Notes: **Hi. I apologize for not updating in forever. I've been busy with school, as of late… and I also had a serious case of writer's block. I've kind of been lacking my interest on _Spirited Away_, as I've moved on with new anime obsessions… but I guarantee that I will finish this story. The completion of this story is just a matter of when. I haven't had as much inspiration with fanfiction lately, but I'm trying my best to get back on track with all of the stories that I wanted to work on. Anyways, I'm so very sorry for the delay, and I'll try to update some more when the winter break comes along.

**---------------------------------**

"So what's going to happen to the investigation now?" asked Haku, glancing at his mistress from the spacious balcony that connected to Yu-Baaba's office.

Yu-Baaba sighed, diverting her attention from the documents on her table to her stern bathhouse apprentice. "The elders wish for us to continue the investigation after the Cherry Blossom Festival. They insist for us to continue our preparations for our guests, and to try and restore the bathhouse to its original condition, before this attack."

"That's predictable…" commented Haku, staring down at the ruins of the backyard shed below. "With the festival being so nearby, there is no way that they can re-locate the festival without alerting others of the delay. Thousands and thousands of years of tradition would be ruined."

"Not only would it ruin the traditions that the Spirit World has held for so long…" Yu-Baaba added grimly, frowning. "Our prestigious reputation at the bathhouse would be tainted with a black mark. What's to keep others from considering the possibility of another Drayk attack on my bathhouse? If news ever got out about what happened here earlier, we would lose a substantial base of customers…"

The river spirit nodded at the elderly woman's words, frowning at this unfortunate and accurate observation. Now, not only did the bathhouse management have to deal with the sabotage of the priceless shrine back in Osaka, but they would have to worry about the dangerous implications that the Drayk brought to this bathhouse…

"Is there a reason why you called me here, Mistress Yu-Baaba?" he exclaimed a few minutes later, breaking the silence.

"Ahh… yes, yes indeed. Any fool would know that Drayks do not breed anywhere near this area. Fact of the matter is that this attack on the bathhouse is obviously intentional, and I want the mastermind of these terrifying acts to be stopped in any way possible…" Yu-Baaba paused in thought, before continuing. "I want you to conduct a _private _investigation on this Drayk attack, and to report _all _of your findings and progress to _only_ me."

**---------------------------------**

_Two hours later…_

Blue-green eyes stared nervously at the familiar brunette, as he tried to conceal himself behind the garden walls. He quietly observed as the young girl continued to play with the single cherry blossom petal in her gentle fingers. Temptation pushed him to attempt to talk to Chihiro, but his mind always stopped himself from doing so. His mind nagged at him of all of the awkward feelings that would arise if he approached his former girlfriend. And so, Haku decided to keep his distance, continuing to watch Chihiro from afar.

_"At least she made it out okay… from the Drayk att--"_ However, before Haku could finish his train of thought, he was interrupted by a small voice.

"Haku, stop lurking there and sit beside me…" a hand patted on the empty seat on the small bench, and soon enough… the river spirit dragged his unsure self to this available seat.

Once he sat down, an awkward silence clouded the garden again. The former couple was at a loss on what to say to each other; this would be their first real conversation since the break-up. A few more minutes passed before one of them decided to spark some sort of discussion concerning the recent events. "So… is it true that you are Raisuke's date to the Cherry Blossom Festival?" quietly asked Haku, keeping his gaze on the floor.

Immediately, Chihiro had visibly winced at the question, biting her bottom lip nervously. The concerned brunette was planning to break the news to Haku herself, but her mind came up blank. She couldn't think of any way to confess to him without hurting him… like she did last time, with their break-up. How could she ever explain herself now, without hurting him even further? "Yes…" she replied softly, unable to think of any other response she could give him.

Haku let out a disappointed sigh, dejected. So the rumors that Rin told him of earlier were true. A sharp twinge of pain stabbed his heart, and a part of his mind somehow nagged at him that Chihiro was betraying their relationship. _'What relationship? You and Chihiro broke up… doesn't that mean she has the right and freedom to be with whoever she wants?' _a voice in his mind, pointed out. "Why?" Some, it bothered Haku that Chihiro perhaps found something pleasant and lovable in Raisuke… that she couldn't find in himself.

"Well…" started Chihiro, playing with the hem of her sleeve. "After I got news that Raisuke became conscious, I went to visit him. We talked for a bit, and later on in our conversation… he had asked me to accompany him to the upcoming festival. I tried to back out of his request as kindly as possible… but he had insisted upon the issue, and well… I couldn't refuse! As much as you might hate the facts, he saved my life, and this "date" is the least I could do to repay him."

Chihiro observed quietly as Haku seemed to silently wallow in his misery; she somehow felt so guilty once again. "Please understand Haku… I didn't and I still don't want to hurt you in any way, especially with this arrangement with Raisuke. I give you my word that this arrangement is strictly platonic, and I hope that these recent events won't destroy our… _close friendship_. Things will still be fine between us, after all of this is over, right?"

"Close friendship…" repeated Haku, his voice barely above a whisper. _'Is that all we are now? Close friends?' _His troubled feelings ran through his mind…

Soon enough, Haku had realized his mistake, before covering his mouth with one hand and reprimanding himself mentally. He had said his thoughts aloud! Meanwhile, Chihiro's mouth opened and close, not knowing what to say. "I… well; I still haven't been able to properly sort out all of my feelings as of late. So much has happened in the last few days, and I haven't had as much time as I needed for my own personal reflection…" the brunette squeezed his hands reassuringly. "Sometimes….I still can't help but feeling the mild warmth while being with you; the butterflies in my stomach flutter when remembering of all of the amazing times when we were together. Something tells me that my feelings for you do go deeper than a simple friendship… but I'm unsure of those feelings would define _love_."

Chihiro slightly paused as to gather her thoughts, before continuing. "I have to admit that when I'm around Raisuke, sometimes I can feel the _slightest _tug on my heartstrings. Even so, they can hardly compare to the reoccurring warmth that I experience when I'm with you. I… I sometimes glance at you afar, and the happiest moments of us together, start to flood into my mind. Sometimes… I do wonder why I asked for this break-up to begin with. However, some fear of uncertainty soon fills my body: an uncertainty about us. Somehow, it re-assures me that what I did was the safest way for me to deal out my feelings. But, every now and then, I question if this uncertainty was worth sacrificing our romantic relationship…"

As soon as those words registered into Haku's mind, he felt a brief tinge of agony before bitterness took over. Did this mean that all of the pain he went through, for the many days… had been for no good reason? Was all of this mess just because she felt like breaking up for the sake of one fleeting second of confusion? What did that say about how important Haku _really _was to her life to begin with? All of his greatest fears kicked in, as all of his worries channeled towards his next rash words.

"Don't you date tell me that you don't know why you started break-up. You've hurt me so deeply… and now you don't know why you started this? Don't try to play two sides of the fence; it's either me or Raisuke…" he whispered dangerously.

Chihiro looked immediately hurt and dejected; how could he think so lowly of her? "You make it sound like I'm having an affair! It's not like that at all… and you are taking _everything _out of context! I said that my relationship with Raisuke was and is still strictly platonic… why can't you believe me?" inquired Chihiro. "Besides, you have no right to reprimanded me… especially since you never told me about Hikaru! I had to find out about her from some of the other bathhouse workers!"

A sudden look of surprise caught the unprepared river spirit, before he hardened his expression. "Hikaru and I have worked at the bathhouse for years… and we never have been romantically involved! But you… you said it yourself; you had the smallest tugging of heartstrings for Raisuke. And as for me, I have no intimate feelings for Hikaru… and that's where we are different. The smallest flicker of tender feelings for Raisuke was the same stir of sensations that made us lovers! Your words are not enough of a reassurance for me anymore, especially after I had to find out about your date from Rin."

A few moments of silence, before Chihiro stood up without warning and pushed passed Haku. "If my words don't mean anything to you, then there is no use explain myself… is there?" Chihiro asked quietly, more to herself than Haku… giving him a rueful half-smile.

Haku watched Chihiro's retreating back, as slow and fleeting moments passed. He concentrated on the dissipating sound of her footsteps… before noticing the trail of crystal drops that stained the ground. They were her tears.


End file.
